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We’re always looking for delicious meat dishes that can feed a crowd with minimal effort, and this lamb is exactly that. Roasted whole and carved just before mealtime, it’s special enough for occasions and accessible enough for a weeknight meal.
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 1⁄2 to 4 pound) boneless leg of lamb, fatty-side scored, and tied (ask the butcher to do this)
  • 4 Meyer lemons halved and seeded
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
  • 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley stems included
  • 1⁄4 cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh oregano
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄2 cup salt-cured black olives pitted and halved
  • 1 cup purslane for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Remove the lamb from the fridge to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. On a preheated grill (or grill pan over medium heat with a light drizzle of olive oil), char the lemons, cut sides down, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Reserve.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a food processor pulse the fennel seeds to pulverize, then add the garlic, parsley, and olive oil. Pulse to make a loose paste. Smear the paste all over the lamb, and sprinkle on the oregano leaves.

  3. Season the lamb with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and generously pepper to taste. Roast, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 130°F, or medium-rare, about 60 to 80 minutes.

  4. Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes. Slice, transfer to a platter, garnish with olives, purslane, and grilled lemons, and serve.