Roast lamb with saffron honey | Bibbyskitchen recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to brown lamb before roasting? ›

For the perfect roast lamb, we recommend seasoning the surface of the meat, and then searing it, especially fat side down in a pan before roasting. Why bother with searing? Contrary to some stories, searing is less about locking in moisture, and all about improving the flavour!

And when you have a gorgeous cut, like a rack of lamb, you can cook it the good ol' Gordon Ramsay way—which is to say, lightly pan-sear it first, then baste it with an herby, garlicky butter, and finally finish it off in the oven until it's still pink and juicy in the middle. It comes out perfectly every time.

For a medium cooked lamb, which is perfectly pink on the inside, budget about 25 minutes per pound or until the internal temp registers somewhere around 130°F (about 1 ½ to 2 hours in a 325 degrees F-heated oven).

The ultimate lamb needs to be seasoned the day before cooking. The debate over how to season any meat is an ongoing issue. One camp follows the advice laid out in the Los Angeles Times, which heralds the benefits of salting meat right before it hits the heat of a pan, oven, or grill.

Slow cooking in liquid transforms tougher cuts of lamb into fork-tender meat. Neck, shoulder and belly, either diced or as whole joints, are the best cuts for slow cooking and need to be cooked for at least 2 hrs at 150C to soften the meat.

Lamb rack is best seared in a pan and finished in the oven – this gives you lots of control over your cooking temperatures but still gives you a nice caramelisation on the surface of the meat. Be sure to remove the meat from the fridge before cooking so it can come to room temperature.

Fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt are simple but amazing flavors that pair amazingly with the lamb! Each of these ingredients adds its unique warmth and depth to enhance the flavor of the dish.

It's such a distinctive flavor that it pairs well with nice, strong spices, as well as herbs. Coriander, fennel, garlic, shallot, ginger, lemon peel --I think those work really nicely with lamb. There are other herbs that are traditionally paired with lamb, like mint.

While the lamb is roasting I baste it with pan juices, flip the leg to evenly cook and prevent any dryness and this foolproof recipe will please those who love lamb and even gain some new fans! 1 leg of lamb (bone in) or 2 short-cut legs of lamb (6-8lbs.) Peel the skins off the garlic clove and slice them into slivers.

A rare, or pink, lamb chop that has been seared well on the outside should be fine because any bacteria on the outer surface will have been killed by the heat. But minced or diced lamb or mutton should never be served pink. It needs to be thoroughly cooked and browned. The same goes for burgers.

What pairs well with lamb? ›

You can purchase leg of lamb bone-in or boneless. A whole leg of lamb often includes the shank portion, but since the shank does not take well to the dry heat of roasting, it's best to buy the leg without the shank. You can also buy a half leg of lamb; the butt-end of the leg will be the meatiest and most tender.

In May and June lamb is at its most tender but as the season progresses the flavour develops. Spring lamb is fantastic for roasting simply with garlic and herbs, autumn lamb is great when given a spicier, more adventurous treatment (see below for examples).

All the lamb needs is a sprinkle of salt and pepper, drizzle of olive oil. Add beef broth/stock and water into the pan (keeps everything all nice and moist + makes pan juices for gravy), cover then slow roast for 5 hours until tender and fall apart.

Sear Before Slow-Cooking

You create a Maillard reaction when you sear the lamb, which is a chemical reaction between the amino acids and the sugars in the meat. This reaction adds an extra roasted layer of flavor to the meat and seals in the juices, keeping it moist during the cooking process.

If raw meat is brown, it could be nearing the end of its shelf life. Food Handlers must throw out raw meat if unsure of its freshness. Colour change is just one sign that meat may not be fresh and safe for consumption — though a change in appearance does not always indicate spoilage.

Carefully add the lamb chops to the hot oil and sear on one side until well browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the chops and sear the other side until well browned, this side will take about 1 minute to fully brown. 5Transfer the entire pan, with the lamb chops inside, into the preheated oven.