Ingredients
1 (8-9 lb) leg of lamb, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat
2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
4 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
1/2 cup coarse sea salt
4 tablespoons cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock, or low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Preparation
Place the lamb in a shallow container and sprinkle evenly on all sides with the herbs, coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper; rub to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 12. Brush off excess herbs and salt from the lamb and let stand at room temperature for one hour. Preheat oven to 285 degrees F and place rack on the bottom shelf. Heat olive oil in a large roasting pan or cast-iron pot over high heat. Add the lamb and sear until browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer lamb to a platter. Reduce heat to medium and scoop out and discard all but a few tablespoons of fat. Add the carrot, onion, garlic and celery to the pot and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Reduce by half, add chicken stock, return to a simmer and place seared lamb in the pan. Transfer to the oven and roast for 8 hours, basting the lamb with the pan juice every 20 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil midway through, once the lamb is deeply browned. Transfer the lamb to a platter and rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, carefully drain the pan juices through a fine meshed sieve into a saucepot; discard the solids. Simmer the juices to reduce to saucy consistency, ladling off excess fat that rises to the top; adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the lamb family style, carving and serving with the pan sauce.
