Roast Leg of Lamb with Gravy
Ingredients
Lamb
- 1 leg of lamb, sized according to the number of servings
- Olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Fresh lavender (optional)
- Salt
- 400 ml cold water
- 400 ml white wine
Gravy
- 1 cup dry red or white wine
- 1 tsp mint sauce
- 1 tsp orange marmalade
- 1 tsp mustard
- A generous grating of nutmeg
- Worcestershire or Maggi sauce
Steps
Lamb
- A full day ahead, rub the lamb all over with a couple tablespoons olive oil. Place the leg on aluminum foil.
- Cut 8 small slits in the skin. Insert a garlic clove in each.
- Rub all over with a couple sprigs each of rosemary, thyme and lavender. Leave on the joint. Wrap in foil.
- Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 180–200 °C.
- Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with as much rosemary, thyme and lavender as fits. Drizzle with a couple tablespoons olive oil.
- Season the lamb all over with salt. Place on the herb bed.
- Pour water and white wine over the leg to keep the meat moist.
- Roast to medium-rare, about 20 min per pound (450 g) plus 15 min. Baste occasionally.
- Transfer to a serving dish. Tent loosely with foil. Rest 15 min.
Gravy
- Remove herb sprigs from the roasting pan. Put the pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
- When hot, add wine. Deglaze.
- Add a dash of water, mint sauce, marmalade, mustard and nutmeg.
- Simmer until reduced and thickened, like a jus. Season with Worcestershire sauce.
- Strain into a serving dish. Serve with the lamb.
Notes from the original
- If you are really feeling naughty, you can add some crème fraiche to the gravy!
- A few hand-torn mint-leaves, mixed with a little warm Greek honey and a good quality vinegar is a delightful addition to roast lamb.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Roast Leg of Lamb with Gravy” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2026-01-24, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.






