Roast Leg of Lamb with Hasselback Potatoes

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: About 90 minutes

Tender leg of lamb seasoned with garlic and herbs makes a wonderful holiday meal, especially alongside crispy hasselback potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 leg of lamb roast (2.5-3 lbs)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 lb baby potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator, pat it dry, and place it in a cast iron or other ovenproof skillet or roasting pan.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, mustard, garlic, rosemary, sea salt, several grinds of black pepper, parsley, and thyme. Rub most of the mixture on all sides of the lamb, reserving about a tablespoon for the potatoes.

Place a chopstick on the cutting board where you’ll slice the potatoes. Put a potato right next to the chopstick and carefully make very thin slices almost all the way down, stopping when you hit the chopstick so the potato stays together. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and arrange them around the lamb. Spoon the rest of the herbed oil on top of the potatoes.

Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the lamb is cooked to your liking (125-130°F for medium). Transfer the lamb to a carving board and rest for ten minutes. Meanwhile, toss the potatoes with the juices in the skillet and return them to the oven to finish roasting.

After the lamb has rested, carve it into thick slices, spoon a little of the pan juices on top, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot with the potatoes.