Recipe for Lamb Roast with Lemon & Oregano

Indulge in a succulent leg of lamb slow-roasted to fall-off-the-bone perfection, surrounded by Greek potatoes turned soft and lemony as they cook. This Mediterranean feast promises tender meat and irresistible, flavorful potatoes!

Approachable, Homestyle Whole Food, Simply Prepared. Hearty & Filling. Easily Adapted to Your Family's Tastebuds. One-Pot Meal. Easy DIY. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free. So Good!!

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Lamb Roast with Greek Lemon-Oregano Potatoes Made the List!



• Best Recipes of 2009

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Visiting the Mack Farm

When I was a child, the Macks raised sheep on a farm out by the lake.

Why my city-girl mother chose a farm visit the very day Mr. Mack docked the lambs’ tails, who can know? It must have scarred all the humans, to say nothing of the sheep. Lamb never – ever? – made it to the family table and has perhaps once – maybe twice? – to my own.

That’s changed, however, with the delivery of a lamb raised by Farmgirl herself on a 280-acre, 140-year old Ozark-holler farm in what she calls "the middle of nowhere" Missouri.

Yes, this farm girl has a name, Susan, but I really do think of her as "Farmgirl", in part because calling one another by our blog names is a familiar convention among early food bloggers.

For anyone new to lamb, there’s something quite natural, primal even, about choosing a whole animal over plastic-wrapped cuts from the grocery store; knowing the lamb was raised in grassy fields, protected from weather and predators by people whose names I know.

For anyone looking for farm-raised organic lamb in the St. Louis area, I am happy to recommend Farmgirl lamb. Susan couldn’t have been more helpful, from guiding the processing decisions (the cuts, the length of hanging) to delivery and even, naturally!, recipes. (Update: Susan is no longer blogging and I've been unsuccessful in reaching her in person about purchasing more lamb.)

Shortly after the lamb was delivered, Farmgirl shared her "less fuss, more flavor" recipe for lamb, by happenstance already starred in Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes, one of my two favorite new cookbooks this year. The second favorite? Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (affiliate link).

Wow, what a recipe. It is simple to prepare. Rubbing the meat with herbs and butter really feels like cooking. After a long, slow roast in the oven, the lamb meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, the potatoes cook right alongside.

Weeks later, I’m still getting compliments. You will too!

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Recipe Overview: Lamb Roast with Greek Lemon-Oregano Potatoes

• With this recipe, you'll slowly roast a leg of lamb in the oven with lemon juice, oregano and butter, first by itself, then surrounded but chunks of bite-size potato that soak up the meat juices, the lemon and other flavors.
• When to Serve = This is a special meal, worthy of a special occasion but not too much for a Saturday night at home or a Sunday dinner.
• Distinctive Ingredients = Lamb + Lemon + Potatoes + Oregano
• Short Ingredient List = all the above + olive oil + butter + salt & pepper
• For Garnish = a few stems of fresh oregano are pretty but not necessary
• Kitchen Tools = you'll need a heavy, deep roasting pan with a lid (foil works too)
• It takes almost four hours for the lamb and potatoes to finish roasting but don't worry, the hands-on time is minimal, about 15 minutes up front plus some occasional attention throughout
• The lamb is cooked in three stints: on its own to brown at higher heat, flipped once; then with the potatoes at lower heat.
• Lamb raised in different parts of the world tastes different. To my taste, lamb raised outside the U.S. is just too strong and tough. Lamb raised in the U.S. can be similar. Farmgirl's lamb is quite special and there's no doubt we love it most. She sells lambs that are a year old (technically, too old to be called lamb), born in the spring and then finished on new, tender grass the following spring. If you're new to lamb, I recommend talking to someone who raises their own lamb to learn more about its taste and tenderness. I have zero luck with legs of lamb from Sam's Club, say.
• A leg of lamb is quite meaty. As written, this recipe serves about six.
• So good! I hope you love it!


• Not ready for a roast? Try my Perfect Lamb Chops, an easy technique that turns out tender, juicy lamb chops each and every time.
• Not quite what you're looking for? Check out my other lamb recipes.

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Hungry Yet?
A Menu for a Fall Feast

Creamy Feta Mousse with Greek Salads

~ Lamb Roast with Greek Lemon-Oregano Potatoes ~
(recipe below)

Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)

Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp
with Vanilla Ice Cream

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LAMB ROAST with GREEK LEMON-OREGANO POTATOES

Hands-on time: 15 minutes up front plus occasional attention throughout
Time to table: 3-1/2 - 4 hours
Serves about 6

LAMB ROAST
• 1 leg of lamb (3 – 4 pounds), on the bone, room temperature if possible
• Juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon butter (see TIPS), in tiny cubes
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

POTATOES
• 1-1/2 pounds (675g) potatoes, skins on (or a mix of potatoes and peeled sweet potatoes), cut into bite-size chunks
• Kosher salt & pepper

GARNISH, OPTIONAL
• A few stems of fresh oregano, lemon slices

START THE LAMB ROAST Heat the oven to 425F/220C. Rinse the lamb, then trim off excess fat and pat dry. Transfer to a roasting pan (choose one with a lid that's big enough for meat and potatoes both). With your hands, pat the meat with lemon juice (see TIPS). Season one side with salt, pepper and half the oregano and dot with ***half*** the butter. Pour the water around the lamb.

Uncovered, roast one side for 15 – 30 minutes until a pleasing brown color.

Turn the roast over, season with salt, pepper and remaining oregano, dot with ***remaining butter*** and roast another 15 – 30 minutes.

ADD POTATOES Lower the oven temperature to 325F/160C. Arrange the potatoes around the meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then toss the potato pieces in the liquid alongside, adding a little more water if needed.

FINISH ROASTING Cover with the lid or foil and bake for 2-1/2 hours, turning the meat and tossing the potatoes once midway.

TO SERVE Slice the roast and serve warm with potatoes on the side.

ALANNA's TIPS If oregano isn’t to your taste, consider ground fennel or rosemary. Before handling the raw meat, get out the roasting pan, seasonings and oils. That way, there will be no need to wash your hands in between steps. If you like, roast the squeezed lemon rinds right alongside the roast. I think this recipe would work well for a bone-in pork roast too.

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2009/10/lamb-with-lemon-oregano.php .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving: 427Cal; 26g Tot Fat; 11g Sat Fat; 85mg Cholesterol; 83mg Sodium; 22g Carb; 2g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 22g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 10 & future WW points

Adapted from Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros. With my personal connections to Finland, Greece and South Africa, all three cuisines featured in this multi-cultural cookbook with such gorgeous photographs, it was first on my wish list. Many thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing for making that wish come true with a complimentary review copy! Farmgirl has modified the same recipe quite significantly, I especially like how she drops the lemon rinds and fresh garlic into the potatoes.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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