With Easter just around the bend, this would seem like an excellent time think about roasting a nice Easter Lamb for the holiday. With that in mind, we checked in with renowned Australian Chef Stephen Edwards, one of the top authorities on the subject.
Lamb is not something that most Americans prepare on a regular basis, so some of us might be a bit intimidated about taking on a leg of lamb—especially if we’re preparing it for invited guests. Chef Edwards says we shouldn’t worry so much.
Chef Edwards shares a few tips that he says prove that delicious, mouth-watering Easter lamb IS that easy to make!
1. Choose your cut. First, decide. Bone-in or boneless leg of lamb?
HINT: Many people enjoy the additional juicy flavors a bone-in leg of lamb can provide. Bear in mind that bone-in leg of lamb also cooks a little faster than boneless, so if you’re pressed for time, it may be the way to go. Click here for some helpful tips on carving Australian lamb.
2. Prepare and season. Place the lamb on top of a bed of chopped veggies and/or potatoes in a roasting pan. This will lift the meat off the juices that are keeping it moist and prevent the meat from burning.
3. Cook and serve. An easy-carve lamb weighing 2.2 lbs usually requires 45 minutes in the oven at 350ËšF to cook to medium. A bone-in leg of lamb is a larger cut, so it requires a longer time to cook— about 1 hour and 40 minutes (or until a meat thermometer registers 130-135ËšF) to cook the standard 6-7 lb size to medium rare.
HINT: No matter which cut you choose, remember that the lamb will continue to cook after it’s removed from the oven. For perfectly pink, juicy meat, remove from the oven just before it reaches the desired doneness and let it rest, uncovered, in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes. When you’re ready to carve and serve, remember this simple tip — never cut across the grain, always cut with it.
View Chef Edwards recipe for…
Roasted Garlic Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Potatoes
Roast Leg of Lamb with Plum and Macadamia Nut Stuffing
Pasture-raised Australian lamb is tender, versatile and widely available at supermarkets and wholesale clubs. For more information, you can visit australian-lamb.com.
To see Chef Edwards in action with the leg of lamb, you can view this video.
