Cider and Honey Roast Leg of Lamb
- 1 leg of lamb, about 4 1/2 pounds, fat trimmed
- Olive oil for drizzling
- 3-4 garlic cloves, skin on, halved
- Few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4 tart cooking apples
- 2 cups hard cider
- Clear honey for drizzling
- 1 1/4 cups lamb stock or chicken stock
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Calculate the cooking time for the lamb: 12 minutes per pound for medium rare, 15 minutes per pound for medium.
- Score the fat around the leg of lamb in a crisscross pattern.
- Drizzle a little olive oil over the fat, then rub all over with salt and pepper.
- Place in a deep roasting pan and scatter the garlic and thyme over and around the leg.
- Sprinkle with the lemon juice and drizzle on more olive oil.
- Sprinkle with a little more seasoning.
- Roast in the hot oven for 20 minutes.
- Quarter and core the apples.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and reduce the heat to 350F.
- Scatter the apples around the lamb, and baste the lamb with the cider.
- Turn the leg over and drizzle on 2 tablespoons of honey.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- Turn the lamb around.
- Baste with the pan juices, then drizzle another tablespoon of honey over the meat.
- Continue to roast for the calculated time.
- To check for doneness, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the lamb, then press the meat lightly: the redder the juices, the rarer the meat.
- Lift the lamb onto a carving board and cover with a piece of foil.
- Let rest in a warm place while you prepare the gravy.
- At this point, the apples and garlic in the roasting pan should be very soft.
- Press with a fork, then tip the entire contents of the pan into a fine sieve set over a saucepan.
- Push down with the back of a ladle to extract all the juices and flavor from the apples and garlic.
- Discard the pulp.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and add the stock.
- Bring to a boil and let bubble vigorously until the sauce has thickened to the desired gravy consistency.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then pour into a warm gravy boat.
- Carve the lamb into thin slices and serve with the apple and cider gravy.
lamb, olive oil, garlic, thyme, lemon, cooking apples, hard cider, drizzling, lamb stock
Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/cider-and-honey-roast-leg-of-lamb (may not work)