Leg of lamb is – almost – to easter what turkey is to christmas. Here are some words of advice on how to get it just right. Enjoy!

Five tips when cooking leg of lamb:

1. Choose a cut/leg with a generous amount of covering fat. The fat on the surface is more important to the depth of taste than the bone inside (which, in the oven, will not cook enough to add much flavor).

2. If the leg has been deboned, tie it up. The result will be juicier and tastier.

3. Cook the whole leg in the oven with traditional lamb spices such as garlic and rosemary – or just about any spices and herbs from around the mediterranean sea. Use a fast and accurate thermometer and don't let it go over 58°C (136°F). You want a pink core.

4. Keep in mind the (metric) 4 percent rule: When you take the meat out of the oven the core temperature will continue rising by about 4 percent of the oven temperature. That is to say 8°C if the oven temperature is 200°C.

5. Give the leg of lamb plenty of time to rest before carving and serving. The internal temperature and juiciness will have spread evenly and the meat will bleed less. Carve at an angle across the direction of the meat fibers.

Temperature for lamb

Medium-rare: 50-54°C (122-129°F)
Medium: 54-58°C (129-136°F)
Medium-well: 58-65°C (136-149°F)
Well done: 65-72°C (149-162°F)

When serving leg of lamb...

Bone contains little water and is an ineffective conductor of heat and therefore the meat is often reddish close to the bone. Some appreciate this red meat, some don't. Let the guests serve themselves, allowing them to choose the cuts they want...