Leg of Lamb with Tarragon & Roasted Vegetables
This dish is wonderfully simple to prepare – it just needs a little marinating time. While you can marinate the lamb for as little as an hour, you’ll get a deeper flavour (and a more relaxed cooking day) if you prepare it the day before and roast the following day.
French tarragon is superb here – it has a distinct, sweet anise flavour that pairs beautifully with lamb. If you can’t source fresh French tarragon, you’ll get a better result switching the marinade to a rosemary and thyme version rather than using dried or Russian tarragon. Fresh herbs bring vibrancy to this dish, making it perfect for warmer days or relaxed entertaining.
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INGREDIENTS
2.5kg Greenhills Natural Bone-In Leg of Lamb
Marinade
4–6 sprigs fresh French tarragon, finely chopped
2–3 tbsp Dijon mustard
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp good quality sherry vinegar or fresh lemon juice
4–5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp honey (optional – for slight sweetness and better caramelisation)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Roasted Vegetables
4 young parsnips, peeled and cut lengthways
(or 2 large parsnips, quartered lengthways, tough cores removed)2 whole heads of garlic, halved horizontally
8–10 small Dutch or French carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
(or 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into long batons)2 medium potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
4 French shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
(or 2–3 baby leeks or 6 spring onions)2–3 small whole beetroots, peeled and halved
Few sprigs rosemary
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Gravy
4 tbsp plain flour
2 cups good-quality beef stock (low or no salt)
Optional: knob of unsalted butter (if pan drippings are lean)
METHOD
Marinade
Remove the lamb from any packaging and pat dry with paper towel.
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt and roughly the same amount of black pepper. Add enough olive oil to form a thick, spreadable paste – wet but not runny.
Using a small sharp knife, make shallow incisions evenly over the leg of lamb. Massage the marinade all over the lamb, pushing bits of garlic and herbs into the cuts.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight (up to 24 hours).
On The Day
Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).
In a large bowl, toss parsnips, carrots and shallots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a deep roasting dish.
Place a wire rack over the vegetables and set the lamb on top.
Toss potatoes and garlic in olive oil and seasoning, arrange around the lamb. Repeat with beetroot. Scatter rosemary over the vegetables and drizzle lightly with extra olive oil.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and gently toss vegetables in the pan juices. Return to oven and roast for a further 45–60 minutes, until lamb reaches:
53°C internal temperature for medium-rare or 56°C for medium
Remove lamb from oven and rest loosely covered with foil and a tea towel in a warm place for 20 minutes. The temperature will rise by around 8–10°C while resting.
Remove vegetables and place on a tray. Return potatoes to the oven if they need more colour. Otherwise, turn oven off and keep vegetables warm with the door slightly ajar.
Gravy
Place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Discard rosemary sprigs. You should have around 4–5 tbsp fat in the pan. If you have less, add a little butter; if much more, spoon off the excess.
Sprinkle flour into the fat and stir well, scraping all the caramelised bits from the pan. Cook for 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in the beef stock until smooth.
Squeeze roasted garlic from the skins into the gravy and mash through. Simmer gently until thickened. Adjust seasoning.
Pour into a warm jug to serve (it will continue to thicken slightly).
To Serve
Slice the lamb thickly across the grain and arrange on a warm platter.
Spoon the roasted vegetables around the meat and finish with a little of the pan gravy over the top, serving the rest in a jug on the side.
This is perfect served family-style in the middle of the table with a simple green salad or lightly dressed bitter leaves to cut through the richness. Any leftovers make exceptional next-day sandwiches or wraps with a smear of mustard and a handful of fresh herbs.
Pairs beautifully with a cool-climate Pinot Noir for a light, fresh match or a medium-bodied Shiraz if you prefer richer, more robust flavours.
OUR TIPS
Bring the lamb out of the fridge 30 minutes before roasting so it cooks more evenly.
Don’t overcrowd the vegetables — they roast better when they have space to caramelise.
Resting the lamb isn’t optional — it’s what keeps it juicy and tender.
SHOP THE RECIPE >>
Leg of Lamb with Tarragon & Roasted Vegetables
This dish is wonderfully simple to prepare – it just needs a little marinating time. While you can marinate the lamb for as little as an hour, you’ll get a deeper flavour (and a more relaxed cooking day) if you prepare it the day before and roast the following day.
French tarragon is superb here – it has a distinct, sweet anise flavour that pairs beautifully with lamb. If you can’t source fresh French tarragon, you’ll get a better result switching the marinade to a rosemary and thyme version rather than using dried or Russian tarragon. Fresh herbs bring vibrancy to this dish, making it perfect for warmer days or relaxed entertaining.
Ingredients
- 2.5kg Greenhills Natural Bone-In Leg of Lamb
- 4 young parsnips, peeled and cut lengthways
- (or 2 large parsnips, quartered lengthways, tough cores removed)
- 2 whole heads of garlic, halved horizontally
- 8–10 small Dutch or French carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
- (or 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into long batons)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 French shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- (or 2–3 baby leeks or 6 spring onions)
- 2–3 small whole beetroots, peeled and halved
- Few sprigs rosemary
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 4–6 sprigs fresh French tarragon, finely chopped
- 2–3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp good quality sherry vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 4–5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp honey (optional – for slight sweetness and better caramelisation)
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 2 cups good-quality beef stock (low or no salt)
- Optional: knob of unsalted butter (if pan drippings are lean)
Method
- Remove the lamb from any packaging and pat dry with paper towel.
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt and roughly the same amount of black pepper. Add enough olive oil to form a thick, spreadable paste – wet but not runny.
- Using a small sharp knife, make shallow incisions evenly over the leg of lamb. Massage the marinade all over the lamb, pushing bits of garlic and herbs into the cuts.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight (up to 24 hours).
- Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).
- In a large bowl, toss parsnips, carrots and shallots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a deep roasting dish.
- Place a wire rack over the vegetables and set the lamb on top.
- Toss potatoes and garlic in olive oil and seasoning, arrange around the lamb. Repeat with beetroot. Scatter rosemary over the vegetables and drizzle lightly with extra olive oil.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and gently toss vegetables in the pan juices. Return to oven and roast for a further 45–60 minutes, until lamb reaches:
- 53°C internal temperature for medium-rare or 56°C for medium
- Remove lamb from oven and rest loosely covered with foil and a tea towel in a warm place for 20 minutes. The temperature will rise by around 8–10°C while resting.
- Remove vegetables and place on a tray. Return potatoes to the oven if they need more colour. Otherwise, turn oven off and keep vegetables warm with the door slightly ajar.
- Place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Discard rosemary sprigs. You should have around 4–5 tbsp fat in the pan. If you have less, add a little butter; if much more, spoon off the excess.
- Sprinkle flour into the fat and stir well, scraping all the caramelised bits from the pan. Cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in the beef stock until smooth.
- Squeeze roasted garlic from the skins into the gravy and mash through. Simmer gently until thickened. Adjust seasoning.
- Pour into a warm jug to serve (it will continue to thicken slightly).
- Slice the lamb thickly across the grain and arrange on a warm platter.
- Spoon the roasted vegetables around the meat and finish with a little of the pan gravy over the top, serving the rest in a jug on the side.
Recipe Notes
This is perfect served family-style in the middle of the table with a simple green salad or lightly dressed bitter leaves to cut through the richness. Any leftovers make exceptional next-day sandwiches or wraps with a smear of mustard and a handful of fresh herbs.
Pairs beautifully with a cool-climate Pinot Noir for a light, fresh match or a medium-bodied Shiraz if you prefer richer, more robust flavours.
