easter dinner: roasted leg of lamb

vegetarians look away now. i will admit that i gagged a little when handling the raw leg. it was all too overwhelming to be holding a dead lamb's leg. but the carnivore in me really enjoyed eating the tender and succulent meat.

1 (5 pound) bone-in lamb leg
14 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried sage
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine (plus a little extra)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lemon for roasting
pinch of salt and pepper

rinse and dry lamb well.
grate 8 cloves garlic and place in a sturdy plastic bag large enough to hold the lamb.
add 4t each of oregano and sage, 1/4 cup of oil, wine, zest and lemon juice.
place lamb in marinade, turning to coat well on all sides; cover and refrigerate overnight, give it a squeeze and turn every few hours.

preheat oven to 165C/325F.
grate remaining 6 cloves of garlic and stir together with remaining 2t of each oregano and sage.
remove lamb from marinade and pierce in several places with the tip of a sharp knife.
rub garlic-herb mixture over lamb, pressing into incisions.
coat with remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
pour some of the marinade, splash of wine and more lemon juice into the bottom of the pan...add water if it gets dry during cooking.
roast, uncovered, for 2 hours (25-30 minutes per pound for medium, 30-35 minutes per pound for well done) i went for medium and it was more like medium rare so you may want to try a different time/temperature.
cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

the whole meal. remember, don't get distracted by easter tv while cooking as things can get a little charred...