- One 6- to 8-pound bone-in leg of lamb
- 14 thin slices garlic (from 3 to 4 cloves)
- 14 very small thyme sprigs
- Slivered zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce, homemade or canned
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot, quartered
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala, or a pinch of cinnamon
- 1 cup unseasoned dried bread crumbs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Trim the lamb of all but a ¼-inch-thick layer of fat. Cut fourteen ½-inch-deep slits all over the lamb with a small sharp knife, and insert a slice of garlic, a thyme sprig, and a sliver of orange zest into each slit.
- Combine the cranberry sauce, grated orange zest, orange juice, maple syrup, mustard, shallot, and garam masala in a food processor and pulse a few times, until the cranberries and shallots are chopped. Add the bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper to taste, and pulse until just combined.
- Place the lamb, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Spread the cranberry mixture over the top and sides of the lamb. Roast for 2½ to 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into the thickest part of the meat (and not touching bone) reaches 125°F. Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. (It will finish cooking to 135° to 140°F for medium.)
- Serving Suggestion
- Transfer the lamb to a warm serving platter and surround it with fresh herb sprigs (thyme, rosemary, and parsley) and orange slices.
- Variations
- Seasonal: Consider using other fresh local fruits, such as blueberries or currants, in place of the cranberries. Pat the crust on top of a butterflied boneless leg of lamb and grill outdoors in the summer.
- Asian: Substitute lime for the orange juice and zest, ¾ cup hoisin sauce for the cranberry sauce and maple syrup, and Chinese five spice powder for the garam masala.
- Indian: Eliminate the thyme and maple syrup. Substitute lemon for the orange, and mango chutney for the cranberry sauce. Add 1 tablespoon curry powder.
- Provençal: Substitute ½cup olive tapenade for the cranberry sauce, and lemon juice and zest for the orange. Eliminate the garam masala and maple syrup.