Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Leg of Lamb with Lemon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

If I had eaten this earlier in life, I may never have become a vegetarian.  Well, maybe not.  It was more of morality thing at the time, but my mind may never have wandered there in the first place had I eaten one or two juicy, tender lamb roasts in my early years.  Luckily, I came to my senses and now get to enjoy a great meal like this now and then.  But I still avoid commercially mass-produced meats.  Seriously, it is all tasteless anyway ... why not eat meat a little less often, spend a few extra bucks and get something you will really enjoy?  Good for you and the community!

Ingredients:
3 lb bone-in leg of lamb
olive oil
fresh rosemary
6-7 garlic cloves
lemons
oregano
1 lb baby fingerling potatoes

Remove the lamb from the fridge and place in a roasting pan (I don't have a roasting pan so I used a casserole dish).

In a food processor, combine garlic, 1/2 tsp dried oregano and a handful (2 Tbsp) of rosemary leaves.  Give it a whiz to break it down a bit, then add 2-3 Tbsp olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon.  Process again.  It should be a bit looser than a paste but not too liquidy.  Spread over lamb, mostly on the top, but get a bit on the sides as well.  Let rest for about an hour.




Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.


These are some of the fingerling potatoes from my recent harvest.  They only take a few minutes so prepare at any time.  Scrub clean but leave skins on.  Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, the juice of 1 or 2 lemons, 1/2 tsp of oregano and S&P.  Use more lemon as needed, you want lots of lemon juice!  Place the potatoes around and under the lamb (and insert meat thermometer if you have one).

I like meat on the rare side; after only 1 hour I removed it from the oven (128 on the meat thermometer).  I read somewhere that it should be about 30 minutes per pound for medium-rare, but that obviously depends on the shape, the amount of bone and the temperature of the oven.

Let the roast rest for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing.