Best 6 Salt Crusted Leg Of Lamb Recipes

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Prepare to savor the delectable flavors of a perfectly cooked salt-crusted leg of lamb, a culinary masterpiece that combines succulent meat with a crispy, savory crust. This traditional dish, often associated with special occasions and celebrations, transforms a simple leg of lamb into an extraordinary main course that will impress your guests and leave them craving for more. With the right ingredients and a few simple steps, you can create this mouthwatering dish in the comfort of your own kitchen, bringing the flavors of a gourmet restaurant to your dining table.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

SALT-CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB



Salt-Crusted Leg of Lamb image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Lamb Recipes

Time 2h45m

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/4 cup fennel seeds
Peel of 6 lemons, chopped, plus lemon wedges for serving
1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed
10 fresh bay leaves, torn
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for lamb
1 bone-in leg of lamb (11 pounds), trimmed and frenched
2 boxes (3 pounds each) coarse salt
11 large egg whites

Steps:

  • Finely chop fennel seeds, lemon peel, rosemary, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a food processor. Transfer 3/4 cup of mixture to a bowl; stir in oil.
  • Heat broiler with rack in middle of oven. Place lamb on a rimmed baking sheet; rub with oil. Broil until browned, flipping once, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set on another baking sheet; let cool. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine remaining herb mixture with salt in a large bowl. Stir in egg whites and 1 cup water. Rub herb oil over lamb. Mound 3 cups of salt mixture in middle of a roasting pan. Place lamb on top. Pack remaining salt on lamb to cover as best as possible. Bake until a thermometer inserted in thickest part (without touching bone) registers 145 degrees, about 90 minutes. Remove salt crust, brushing off bits. Let lamb stand 30 minutes; carve and serve, with lemon wedges.

HERB CRUSTED LAMB



Herb Crusted Lamb image

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h30m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless leg of lamb
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup water or chicken broth
Special Equipment: kitchen string, meat thermometer

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix the herbs with the olive oil and bread crumbs. Rub both sides of the lamb with the herb mixture. Using the kitchen string, tie up the lamb leg at 2-inch intervals. Place in roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Add the wine and water or broth to the roasting pan and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the thickest part of the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F for medium. Take the lamb out of the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let the meat rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

SALT-CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB



Salt-Crusted Leg of Lamb image

Succulent lamb roasted over hickory or oak.

Provided by Guy Fieri

Categories     christmas,easter,Holiday/Event,lamb,Main,Roast

Yield 12-16 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 pieces hickory or oak firewood, about 13" long each
2 butterflied legs of lamb
2 48-oz boxes kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup red chile flakes
¼ cup dried oregano
¼ cup dried rosemary
¼ cup dried thyme
12 egg whites

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 450ºF, or preheat a wood-fired oven.
  • Cover the firewood with water and soak for 15 minutes. Remove and add to a large roasting pan.
  • Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Add enough kosher salt to a large bowl to cover both legs of lamb during roasting. Add the chile flakes, oregano, rosemary, thyme and egg whites. Mix until the mixture looks like wet sand.
  • Cover the logs with a layer of herb salt. Place the legs side by side on top of the salt, then cover the lamb completely with more herb salt.
  • Roast until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 120ºF, about 1 hour.
  • Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before removing the "salt cap." Slice and serve.

HERB-CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB WITH RED WINE GRAVY



Herb-crusted leg of lamb with red wine gravy image

Thanks to a breadcrumb coating made with parsley, mint, rosemary and garlic, this roast joint is a cut above the rest

Provided by James Martin

Categories     Main course

Time 2h25m

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 ¼kg leg of lamb
3 small garlic cloves , sliced
2 onions , cut into chunks
1 carrot , cut into chunks
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
175g white breadcrumb (a few days old is best)
small bunch parsley , finely chopped
small bunch mint , finely chopped
5 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
2 fat garlic cloves , crushed
3 ½ tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain flour
400ml red wine
1l lamb or beef stock
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
knob of butter

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Use a sharp knife to make little slits all over the lamb, then insert a slice of garlic into each hole. Tip the onions and carrot into a large flameproof roasting tin, then place the lamb on top and season. Pour 250ml water into the base of the tin and roast in the oven for 30 mins.
  • Meanwhile, make the crust by mixing together all the ingredients and seasoning well. Remove the lamb from the oven and turn the heat down to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Brush the lamb all over with the mustard, then pack on the crust in a thick layer - don't worry if any falls in the tin, this will be used in the gravy later (you probably won't use the entire crust, so set aside what's left for later). Return the lamb to the oven and cook for a further 1 hr 30 mins. Check the lamb during cooking and add more water to the base of the tin if it dries out.
  • Remove the lamb from the tin, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest for 30-40 mins - if covered too tightly, the crust will go soggy.
  • To make the gravy, put the roasting tin with the vegetables still in it directly on the heat and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 min, then add the wine, scraping any flour from the bottom of the tin. Let it bubble for 1 min, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10-15 mins until thickened, stirring in a little of the reserved crust for a thicker gravy. Strain the gravy through a sieve into a pan, discarding the vegetables left in the sieve. Add mustard to taste and stir through the butter. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 564 calories, Fat 27 grams fat, SaturatedFat 11 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 25 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 4 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 48 grams protein, Sodium 1.5 milligram of sodium

HERB-CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB



Herb-Crusted Leg of Lamb image

At a traditional Greek Easter dinner, lamb is served medium to well done. If you like it rare, roast it for a shorter amount of time.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Meat & Poultry     Lamb Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 legs of lamb (9 pounds each), bone in, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium head garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brandy
1 1/2 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Steps:

  • Let lamb stand at room temperature for one hour. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove all but a thin layer of fat from the lamb. Rub lamb with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place on a rack in a heavy roasting pan.
  • Meanwhile, rub head of garlic with 1/4 teaspoon oil; wrap loosely in foil. Bake until garlic is very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool.
  • Cut off top of garlic head; squeeze roasted garlic into a bowl. Using a fork, mash garlic to a paste. Add extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, parsley, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix well.
  • Rotate pan after lamb has roasted 1 1/4 hours. After 30 minutes more, slather lamb with roasted-garlic paste. Roast an additional hour (for a total roasting time of about 2 3/4 hours), or until an instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest part reads 160 degrees. Remove from oven, and let rest 20 minutes.
  • Transfer lamb to a carving board. Pour off fat from roasting pan; place over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with flour, and stir with a wooden spoon. Pour in brandy; scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan. Lower heat to medium; let liquid reduce by half. Add stock, stirring until incorporated. Add rosemary and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Slice lamb; serve with sauce on the side.

CHEF JOHN'S ROASTED LEG OF LAMB



Chef John's Roasted Leg of Lamb image

I've done more than a few lamb dishes dedicated to Easter, but inexplicably have never posted one for a whole leg of lamb. It's such a classic Easter menu option, and, when prepared using this method, makes for a very user-friendly hunk of meat.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Lamb     Leg

Time 10h20m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 13

¼ cup pomegranate molasses
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (5 pound) boneless leg of lamb, butterflied
kitchen twine
salt to taste
water as needed
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, or as needed

Steps:

  • Stir 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses, garlic, rosemary, kosher salt, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, mint, and cumin together in a bowl.
  • Arrange the butterflied leg of lamb onto a work surface with the fatty side facing down. Cut 2 deep slashes in each of the the fleshy ends of the meat. Flip the lamb and cut 10 to 20 shallow slashes across the surface of the fat.
  • Spread 3/4 the pomegranate molasses mixture onto the meat-side of the lamb to coat completely. Fold meat together and turn into a large bowl. Spread remaining pomegranate mixture over the fatty side of the meat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a roasting rack in the bottom of a roasting pan.
  • Remove lamb from marinade and discard excess marinade. Gather roast and place onto a work surface with fatty side facing upwards. Tie the center section of the roast with kitchen twine to cinch the roast together. Repeat ties four times along the length of the roast.
  • Season roast with salt and transfer to prepared roasting pan. Pour water below the rack to cover the bottom of the pan.
  • Roast in the preheated oven until hot and slightly pink in the center, about 1 3/4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 135 degrees F (57 degrees C). Rest for 15 minutes, transfer to a plate, and brush with remaining pomegranate molasses.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 344.4 calories, Carbohydrate 5.8 g, Cholesterol 115.3 mg, Fat 20.6 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 31.9 g, SaturatedFat 8.6 g, Sodium 823.5 mg, Sugar 4.7 g

Tips:

  • Choose a high-quality leg of lamb for the best flavor.
  • Make sure the salt crust is evenly applied to the lamb; this will help it cook evenly.
  • Roast the lamb at a high temperature for a crispy crust and juicy interior.
  • Let the lamb rest for at least 15 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
  • Serve the lamb with your favorite sides, such as roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or mint sauce.

Conclusion:

Salt-crusted leg of lamb is a classic dish that is perfect for a special occasion. It is easy to make and always impresses guests. With its crispy crust, juicy interior, and flavorful salt crust, this dish is sure to be a hit. So next time you're looking for a special meal, give salt-crusted leg of lamb a try; you won't be disappointed.

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