Roast lamb is a popular choice for UK households over Easter weekend, traditionally served as a symbol of the sacrifice Jesus makes. In 2025, lamb made up over half (50.8%) of the red meat roasting joints sold in the two weeks leading up to Easter.

To celebrate Easter and this delicious dish, champion of local produce and ingredients Kevin Bonello, Executive Head Chef at Legacy at The Grand, York, shares his recipe for a roasted leg of Yorkshire lamb.

Yorkshire Roast Lamb Leg Photo: The Grand, York

Leg of Yorkshire lamb with red currant glaze

Serves 6.

Ingredients

1 leg of Yorkshire lamb, approx. weight 2kg
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
3 tbsp red currant jelly
2 tsp mustard powder
50ml vegetable oil
1tbsp whole grain mustard
1 pinch Ras el Hanout spice
1 pinch fresh cumin
100g roughly chopped mirepoix (carrot, onion, garlic and celery)
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
50ml sherry vinegar
200ml red wine
800ml beef stock
100g mint sauce
Salt and pepper

Method

Score the surface of the lamb leg, making shallow incisions every 2cm.
Rub the leg with the oil, Ras el Hanout, cumin, salt and pepper, and set aside to macerate for 30 minutes.

In a heated skillet, seal off the marinated lamb leg on all sides, then rub with whole-grain mustard and set aside again.

In the same skillet, add the chopped vegetables, roasting them until brown, then deglaze with the sherry vinegar and red wine until the mix has reduced by half.

Add the beef stock to the skillet, placing back the sealed-off lamb leg, cover with a lid and place in the oven at 160 degrees for 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes.

Whilst the lamb is in the oven, make the glaze by whisking together the chopped rosemary, mustard powder and red currant jelly.

Once the initial cooking time has finished, remove the lamb from the oven, take off the lid and brush with the red currant glaze. Return it to a hot oven at 200 degrees, cooking for another 30 minutes until nicely glazed.

Take the leg out of the oven, remove it from the stock and set aside, covered with aluminium foil. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes before carving and serving.
Strain the leftover stock and reduce. Then mix in the mint sauce and use this to serve with the lamb.

If you are looking to impress, Kevin suggests sourcing your lamb from a reputable butcher for the best results.

“When available, you should choose lamb that has been hung for around ten days, as this will result in a much more flavourful dish,” Kevin explains.

“When roasting lamb, I prefer to go for a leg or shoulder joint rather than loin or belly, simply because these cuts are best suited to long and slow roasting hours in which their full flavour can develop. Roasting meat on the bone also keeps the meat really tender.”