Relatively simple to prepare, yet complex in flavor, roast leg of lamb makes any dinner special, any time of year. Real Food Traveler contributor, Chef Tariq Nasir, offered up one of his favorite Jordanian dishes, his Roast Leg of Lamb recipe and we were very happy to accept and share it. Here, he gives us step-by-step instructions so we can make it at home.

Chef Tariq’s recipe for lamb roast dinner. Photo courtesy Chef Tariq.

Chef Tariq Nassir’s Jordanian Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe

Ingredients:

• 10 lb leg of lamb
• 10 cloves of garlic (peeled and halved)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sprigs of rosemary

Start with a good-size leg of lamb and fresh herbs for the best flavor instead of doing a roast lamb rub of dry seasonings. Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Method:

• Heat the olive oil in a pan and brown the leg of lamb on the outside.
• Place leg of lamb in oven, on a baking tray or roasting pan and cut 20 inch long slits all over the skin.
• Press each of the pieces of garlic into the slits you’ve made.
• Mix the salt and pepper, then rub it well into the leg of lamb.
• Place the sprigs of rosemary on top of the leg and wrap tightly in aluminium foil.
• Cook in the oven at 450°F for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 300°F and cook for a further 2 hours.
• For one final time, lower the temperature to 250°F and cook for another hour.
• Remove from oven and let it sit for 30 minutes. Unwrap and serve!

Hungry for more? Chef Tariq gave us his recommendations for where to enjoy Jordanian cuisine at restaurants in Amman, in this article. Learn more about how olives are grown and harvested in Jordan in this article. Find out more about RealFoodTraveler.com on our About page.

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