Rosemary and Honey Glazed Leg of Lamb

Instead of ham or turkey for our Easter dinner we have lamb. It's different, it's fun and it smells heavenly (though I didn't always think so, I used to hate the smell of lamb--I was a fool, what can I say?).

Here's the recipe for this year's roast:

1 boneless leg of lamb (on the smallish side, but still about four pounds)

for the marinade:
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Combine all the marinade ingredients and mix thoroughly, then in a greased roasting pan pour the marinade over the lamb, covering it completely and even brushing the marinade into the cracks. In fact, I cut off the elastic ties that hold the roast together because I hate the way the crust comes off when you remove the string after roasting.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the roast set overnight.

Let the roast sit for an hour before roasting and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roast meat for 15 minutes then turn the temperature down to 375 and continue roasting for another 55-60 minutes, bringing the internal temperature to 145 degrees. Let the roast stand for 10-15 minutes after it comes out of the oven so the juices can set, then carve and serve (mine is pictured with a side of olive and Parmesan couscous).

Technorati tags: rosemary, lamb, roast, honey, Easter, holidays