In France, lamb is traditionally served for Easter in the spring season, but it is also available all year round as it is easily frozen too. This recipe can be prepared in different ways; this is my version of it but feel free to add your personal touch to it. However, it definitely needs to be slow-cooked on low heat to ensure the most tender and candied result, so tender that you will easily serve it with a spoon…
My advice: ask your butcher to shorten the leg so it fits in your pot and start cooking it when at room temperature and not when out of the refrigerator.
SLOW COOKED LEG OF LAMB
10 November 2025
: 8
: 30 min
: 7 hr
: 7 hr 30 min
: EASY
You need one oven-compatible large pot, long enough to hold the leg to prepare this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 leg of lamb of about 2 KG
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 medium-size onions
- 2 shallots
- 1 carrot
- 10 button mushrooms
- 4 TBS olive oil
- 50 g butter
- 4 laurel leaves
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 4 sage leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs
- A mixture of freshly ground peppers
- 1 glass of white wine
- 1 poultry cube broth or water
Directions
- Step 1 Pre-heat the oven to 120°C, peel and cut the carrots in 1 cm-wide chunks. Peel the onions and the shallots and thinly chop them. Wash the mushrooms, remove the stems, and cut in 4. Set it all aside. Pour the olive oil on the lamb, and rub the oil in evenly. Rub the meat with 2 garlic cloves. Heat-up the butter in the pot and fry the meat on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, keep frying the lamb on all sides. When this is done, remove the leg of lamb from the pot and set it aside on a large plate. In that pot, add to the meat juices the carrots, the onions, the shallots, mushrooms and 2 minced garlic cloves. Add salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat and add the rosemary and thyme sprigs, the sage and the laurel leaves all tied together. Add the glass of wine and the lamb, a glass of water, put the lid on or cover with an aluminum foil, and place it in the pre-heated oven. Cook for 7 hours, turning over the leg of lamb every 1h30 to 2 hours to ensure an even roasting of the meat. Check the level of liquids: if it becomes too dry, add a bit of water or poultry broth, adjust the seasoning too if necessary.
- Step 2 After 7 hours of cooking, remove the leg of lamb from the oven, let it stand in the pot for 20 minutes. When ready to serve, collect and set on the table about 2 ladles of the sauce as an option for your guests. If you choose to bring the pot on the table, you need to remove the bouquet garni prior to that. The meat is so tender that you won’t even need a knife to serve: a mere large fork and a simple large spoon will be perfectly fine to serve. As a side dish, you may choose to serve roasted vegetables or potatoes, or white rice, and a green salad.
