Gigot d’agneau à l’ail — bone-in garlic roast lamb
Gigot d’agneau à l’ail is a direct French roast: a whole bone-in leg, garlic, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. The lamb is not boned, rolled or slow-cooked for seven hours, and it is not hidden under a heavy herb crust. The garlic goes into shallow surface slits so its aroma perfumes the roast without turning the meat into a deeply pierced, non-intact cut.
The oven starts at 220 °C for 15 minutes to establish browning, then drops to 180 °C for the main roast. Time gives a planning framework, but the endpoint is measured. Insert a calibrated probe into the thickest intact muscle and keep it away from the bone; the roast must reach at least 63 °C, followed by a rest of no less than three minutes. This recipe uses a 15-minute rest for both safety and better carving.
Colour is not a safety test. Lamb can remain pink at a safe temperature, and a browned exterior says very little about the centre. For vulnerable diners who need a more conservative endpoint, continue roasting to 71 °C before the rest. After resting, carve across the grain and keep side dishes separate from the measured roast and pan-juice nutrition.


