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Mary Berry Slow Roasted Lamb Recipe

Mary Berry Slow Roasted Lamb Leg Recipe

Mary Berry's slow roasted lamb is meltingly tender after hours in the oven — deeply flavoured and completely hands-off.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 50 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 5 Portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 –2.5kg bone-in lamb shoulder or leg
  • 6 garlic cloves 3 halved for studding, 3 crushed
  • 6 sprigs fresh rosemary 3 for studding, leaves from rest
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin optional
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 200 ml red wine or lamb stock
  • 200 ml water
  • 2 onions quartered

Method
 

  1. Remove lamb from fridge 1 hour before cooking. Make 12 deep cuts. Push garlic and rosemary into each cut.
  2. Mix crushed garlic, rosemary leaves, thyme, lemon zest, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper to a paste. Rub all over the lamb. Leave 30 minutes minimum — overnight in fridge for best flavour.
  3. Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / Gas 7. Place onions in roasting tin. Rest lamb on top. Pour wine and water around.
  4. Roast uncovered 20 minutes. Reduce to 160°C / 140°C fan / Gas 3. Cover tightly with double foil — crimp firmly. Roast: shoulder 4–4.5 hours, leg 1.5–2 hours. Check hourly and add water if needed.
  5. Remove foil for final 30 minutes.
  6. Rest 20–30 minutes covered loosely with foil. Strain and reduce pan juices for gravy. Pull or carve. Serve with gravy.

Notes

Overnight marinating gives significantly better flavour — plan ahead if possible.
Onions under the lamb add flavour and prevent the base sitting in fat.
Foil seal must be completely tight — gaps mean the lamb can dry out.
Rest 20–30 minutes — this is essential for juicy meat.
Pan juices make exceptional gravy — always use them.
Shoulder is always preferable to leg for slow roasting — more forgiving, more flavourful.
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