This beautiful leg of lamb is super tender, thanks to several hours of slow roasting in the oven. It’s rubbed with lots of fresh dill, rosemary, lemon zest, garlic, sea salt, and pepper prior to roasting to lock in flavor and give each bite a polyphenol-rich boost.
Serve it up with some smoky crème sauce and lettuce cups and you’ve got a delicious meal ready to share with a crowd, the perfect centerpiece for any holiday feast.
Lamb is less commonly consumed here in the US than in other parts of the world, but it’s a great source of high-quality protein along with lots of vitamins and minerals, like iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. If you eat meat and are looking to add some variety to your plate, lamb can be a nice option to alternate in.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Mark Hyman, MD
Ingredients:
Lamb
- 1 (2.5-pound) bone-in leg of lamb (grass-fed or pasture-raised if possible)
- ½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 lemons, zested
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup avocado oil
Crème
- 1 cup plain unsweetened coconut yogurt
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 small garlic cloves, microplaned
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Serving suggestions
- Gem lettuce cups
- Fresh mint leaves
- Fresh dill sprigs
- Lemon zest
Method:
1. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and pat dry.
2. Place the lamb in an oven-safe baking dish or Dutch oven. Combine all of the lamb ingredients in a small bowl first, then rub over the entire lamb leg. Massage the marinade into the lamb well using your hands. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight. After marinating, remove the lamb from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature, preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. To prepare the crème sauce, add all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
4. Once the lamb reaches room temperature, cover and transfer to the top rack of the oven, or as far away from the heat source as possible. Roast for 3 hours.
5. After 3 hours, remove the lamb from the oven. Flip the lamb leg to roast the other side, cover, and continue to roast for another 1 hour and 30 minutes until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bone.
6. Once the lamb leg has roasted for a total of 4 hours and 30 minutes, remove the cover and increase the oven temp to 425°F. Transfer the uncovered lamb leg back into the oven and roast for 45 minutes.
7. To serve, plate some of the lamb with a spoonful of anchovy crème and the other serving suggestions to create the perfect plate.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories: 361, Total Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 649mg, Carbohydrates: 7g, Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 28g, Net Carbs: 6g