*This post first appeared over at Eazy Peazy Mealz, where I am a guest contributor
Total Time Investment: 8 hours, 10 minutes
When The Princess was small, I would listen to the mothers of older children talk in raptures about their slow cookers. They spoke about the joy of dumping dinner in the slow cooker early in the morning and coming home to a hot dinner. They eagerly swapped recipes, and discussed ideas that worked and those that didn't. I would listen on with disinterest ... I had no need of such contraptions.
Then The Princess grew up, and now I am the proud owner of not one, but three slow cookers in varying sizes. There are days when I cannot even imagine getting dinner on the table at a reasonable time without using at least one of them, and I now actively participate in all conversations relating to slow cooker recipes. Whilst I typically use the slow cooker for one pot meals like curries, stews or soups; meals that require little more than some rice or a loaf of bread to complete the meal, I was very interested to discover recently that at least three of my friends used their slow cooker to cook a leg of lamb.
A good roast takes time to cook, and time is usually the enemy when it comes to putting dinner on the table during the week. For this reason, I normally only cook a roast for dinner on Sunday evening. The idea of quickly throwing a seasoned lamb leg in the slow cooker on a busy morning has turned this thinking on its head.
I typically flavour oven-roasted lamb with lemon, rosemary and garlic, a combination that translates perfectly to the slow cooker. I also like to tuck small pieces of anchovies in with the garlic and rosemary. As I know anchovies can be polarising, I have left them out of this recipe. The anchovies melt into the lamb as it cooks, seasoning the meat, so if you love them add them in.
Once cooked, shred the meat and serve it in the juices that render out of the lamb during the cooking process. Add some simple sides, such as mini rosemary roasted potatoes and roasted broccoli, and dinner will be done. I can't think of anything easier.
My friends like to serve their slow cooker leg of lamb with stacks of pita bread, a tub of hummus and some easy salads, which would make an ideal meal for a warm summer evening. Any leftover meat can be repurposed into other meals, such as shepherd's pie, or even just tucked into sandwiches or salads for lunches. Who said slow cookers were pointless?
Slow Cooker Leg of Lamb: How To Get Ahead
Whilst it doesn't take long to season your lamb leg, you can readily spike the leg with the seasonings the night before. Just place the seasoned leg into the slow cooker insert, and pop the whole insert into the fridge. In the morning, place the insert into the slower cooker, turn it on and walk away. Dinner done.
Ingredient Substitutions
I typically use a bone - in leg of lamb for this dish, however there is absolutely no reason why you could not use a boneless leg of lamb if you prefer.
There are times during the year when my lemon tree is being unco-operative, and I cannot access fresh lemons. When this occurs, I leave the lemon out and season with just rosemary and garlic.
If you are a fan of anchovies, tuck a few slivers into the slits in the lamb as you season it. The anchovies melt into the lamb as it cooks, adding subtle flavour to the lamb.
Easy Slow Cooker Leg of Lamb with Rosemary & Garlic
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Using a small, sharp knife make small deep incisions all over the leg of lamb.
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Take a piece of garlic and a few rosemary leaves and push them into an incision in the lamb.
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Continue pushing garlic and rosemary into the remaining incisions.
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Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the lamb leg.
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Season generously with salt and pepper.
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Place the leg in the slow cooker.
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Squeeze the lemon over the lamb, and drop the lemon shells into the bottom of the slow cooker.
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Cook the lamb on Low for 8 - 10 hours or on High for 4 - 5 hours, or until the lamb easily pulls away from bone and can be shredded.
