Saffron Roast Lamb

Lamb is one of my favourite meats – I blame that on growing up on a sheep farm, where we ate a LOT of lamb!

I had a beautiful leg of lamb in the freezer and decided that I wanted to cook it for Sunday Dinner.

This recipe is based on one from Feast by Nigella Lawson.

It is Paleo, Gluten/Grain-free and AIP-friendly.  And it tastes just delicious!

This would be perfect to serve at Easter!

Saffron Roast Lamb

serves 6

• 1 leg of lamb (mine weighed 1.7kg/3¾lb)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic – crushed
• 6 green onions – chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• juice of 1 lemon
• small bunch of mint – torn
• 2-3 sprigs of rosemary, needles removed and chopped
• Salt to taste
• 2 carrots – peeled and cut into sticks
• 2 sticks of celery – cut into sticks
• 1 onion – peeled and sliced
• ½ tsp saffron threads soaked in 1 cup boiling water

Put the lamb in a large dish and pour over the olive oil.  Add the garlic, green onions and herbs, and sprinkle with salt.  Squeeze over the lemon juice.

Rub all this well into the lamb, then place the dish in the refrigerator overnight so that the meat can absorb all the flavours..

Next day, remove the lamb from the refrigerator and allow it to come up to room temperature while the oven preheats.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.

Place the onion, carrot and celery in the base of a roasting tin and transfer the contents of the dish to the tin, sitting the lamb on top of the veggies.

Put the lamb in its roasting tin in the oven and roast for 35 minutes per kilo (16 minutes per lb).  You want the lamb to be cooked so that it is just a little pink inside.  If you have a meat thermometer, aim for a temperature of 70°C/160°F in it’s thickest part.

Remove the lamb and the veggies to a carving board and allow the lamb to rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the saffron and its water to the roasting tin and allow it to simmer over a medium high heat to reduce it by half.

Strain out all the herbs and onions, and serve the lamb carved into thick slices with the saffron gravy.

I also served roasted white sweet potatoes, sauteed ruby chard and asparagus with this.

Shared at Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable #22

Shared at Gluten Free Wednesday

Shared at Allergy Free Wednesday #112

Shared at Full Plate Thursday