Roasted Leg of Lamb with Meyer Lemon

Method

1. 1Make the herb paste and marinate. Finely grate the zest of the 2 Meyer lemons and keep the zested lemons for juice. Mix the zest, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, parsley, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper into a coarse paste. It shouldn't be smooth — you want texture so the herbs don't just slide off. Take the butterflied lamb and open it flat on a board. Spread two-thirds of the paste all over the interior surface. Roll the lamb up firmly, tuck in any loose ends, and tie at 4 cm intervals with kitchen twine. Rub the remaining paste over the outside. If you have time, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate it overnight; if not, give it at least 2 hours in the fridge, which still makes a real difference. Either way, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes in the oven.
2. 2Sear the outside at high heat. Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Set the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan, seam-side down. Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan — it keeps the drippings from burning and gives you something to work with for pan sauce later. Roast at 220°C for 20 minutes. At this point the outside should be brown, the herbs slightly charred at the tips, the fat beginning to render and sizzle audibly. This is what you want.
3. 3Finish at lower heat. Reduce the oven to 180°C (350°F) and keep roasting until the thickest part of the meat, away from the twine, reads 58°C (136°F); for a 2 kg rolled leg that takes about 70 to 85 more minutes. After the rest it will reach 63°C (145°F): slightly pink in the center and safe for a rolled roast, whose outer surface ends up inside. About 20 minutes before the end, slice the third Meyer lemon into thin rounds and lay them over the top of the roast — they caramelize slightly and the oils in the peel baste the meat with a last round of citrus.
4. 4Rest — this part is not optional. When the thermometer reads 58°C, pull the lamb. Cover loosely with foil and rest it for 20 minutes minimum, 30 if you can wait. The internal temperature will climb the rest of the way on its own. Skipping the rest means the first cut releases all the accumulated juice onto the board instead of keeping it in the meat.
5. 5Make a quick pan sauce and carve. Pour the pan drippings into a small saucepan. Skim the fat from the surface or tilt the pan and spoon it off. Add a splash of juice squeezed from one of the zested lemons and bring to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season. Remove the twine from the lamb, slice against the grain into 1.5 cm thick pieces, and arrange on a warm platter. Pour the pan sauce over the top. The lemon rounds from the roasting pan make a decent garnish — they're edible and carry the flavor of the roast.