![Leg of Lamb Cooked Over New Potatoes with Spicy Mint-Rum Sauce](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/mmBajCWTzjLnqAEarnAvJ-IqxQo=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Leg-of-Lamb-Cooked-Over-New-Potatoes-with-Spicy-Mint-Rum-Sauce-FT-RECIPE0822-2000-c6df4bb19d9b4056b7e17b029a05b0e7.jpg)
Ingredients
Lamb and Potatoes
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6 large garlic cloves, peeled
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1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
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1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds, finely chopped
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1 (4- to 5-pound) shank-end lamb leg, trimmed (see Note)
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3 pounds small (about 1 1/2- to 2-inch round) Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
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¼ cup olive oil
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2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, divided
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2 tablespoons mixed peppercorns
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1 tablespoon dried rosemary
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1 tablespoon herbes de Provence (preferably Simply Organic, see Note)
Spicy Mint-Rum Sauce
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¾ cup mint jelly (such as Stonewall Kitchen)
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3 tablespoons (1 ounce) dark Barbados rum
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1 small (5/8-ounce) jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
Directions
Make the lamb and potatoes:
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Preheat oven to 450°F. Finely chop garlic on a cutting board; sprinkle with thyme and lavender. Using the flat side of a chef's knife, smash garlic mixture until a coarse paste forms. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make about 15 (1/2-inch-wide, 3/4-inch-deep) incisions all over lamb leg. Stuff garlic mixture evenly into holes (about 1/4 teaspoon mixture each). Set aside.
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Toss together potatoes, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large roasting pan; spread in an even layer. Roast in preheated oven until potatoes have just started to brown, about 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine peppercorns, rosemary, herbes de Provence, and remaining 2 tablespoons salt in a spice grinder. Pulse until coarsely ground, about 8 pulses. Rub mixture all over lamb.
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Remove potatoes from oven; stir mixture in pan. Place lamb, fat side up, on potatoes. Return to oven, and roast at 450°F until lamb just begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir potatoes in pan, lifting lamb to stir potatoes under it. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting to desired degree of doneness or until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of meat registers 120°F for medium-rare, 1 hour to 1 hour and 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let rest 15 minutes.
Make the spicy mint-rum sauce:
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Cook mint jelly, rum, and jalapeño in a small saucepan over medium, stirring often, until jelly liquefies and sauce is warmed through, about 5 minutes.
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Transfer lamb to a cutting board; carve into long, thin slices. Toss potatoes with pan drippings. Serve lamb alongside potatoes and spicy mint-rum sauce.
Make Ahead
Leftover spicy mint-rum sauce can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat over warm before serving.
Note
The shank-end lamb leg is not a standard cut; it refers to a lamb leg with the butt of the leg removed. It cooks faster than a larger whole leg and still offers a beautiful bone-in presentation. A grocery store butcher counter can prepare this precise cut upon request, or you can substitute a 3- to 4-pound whole leg of lamb or bone-in shoulder. Different brands' herbes de Provence blends will have different ratios of herbs and levels of coarseness, so we recommend Simply Organic for this recipe.
Suggested Pairing
Peppery, dark-fruited Sonoma Zinfandel: Valravn Sonoma County