Roast Leg of Lamb in a Spicy Sauce

This is based quite closely on a recipe I found on Epicurious, although of course I made some changes. I didn't have a butterflied leg of lamb - mine was bone-in - and barbequing was not an option. I omitted or changed a few of the spices, and I reduced the amount of olive oil and replaced it with water. Nevertheless, the results were excellent. I am not ashamed to say that I licked my plate like a cat. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients; the spice rub goes together very quickly.

Next time I think I would cover it with foil from the start; the top got a little too brown although it did taste just fine.

4 to 6 servings
1 hour 45 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

The Spice Rub:
1 shallot
2 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon savory
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed
2 teaspoons cumin seed, ground
2 teaspoons coriander seed, ground
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (I used sriracha)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
the juice of 1 lemon

Put everything but the olive oil and lemon juice into the food processor, and process to a paste. Add the olive oil and lemon juice, and process again, until smooth.

The Lamb:
1 2-kilogram (4 1/2 to 5 pound) bone-in leg of lamb
1/3 cup of water
Trim the lamb of as much fat as possible. Spread the spice paste evenly all over the leg of lamb; top, bottom and sides. Put it in a fairly snug roasting dish and cover it with foil. Return it to the fridge to marinate; anywhere from 1 hour to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add the water to the roasting pan. Re-cover the lamb with foil, and roast it for 1 hour to 1 and 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the lamb and how well done you would like it to be. Check it occasionally to be sure the water does not evaporate from the pan. If it does, add a bit more.

Let it rest for 5 or 10 minutes before slicing it. Serve it with the sauce from the pan.