Seared Lamb Leg Steaks with Rosemary Potatoes and Peas
Lamb leg steaks seared until browned, then finished with a quick garlic and rosemary pan sauce built on the fond. Served with golden roast potatoes and tender peas.
- Total
- 50 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 35 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Searing · Deglazing
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Cut the potatoes into 2 cm cubes and spread them on a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper, and toss to coat.
~8 min
Cutting potatoes into uniform 2 cm cubes ensures they roast evenly, so smaller pieces don't burn before larger ones cook through.
-
Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes, turning once halfway, until golden and crisp at the edges.
~30 min
Roasting at high heat drives off moisture and browns the surface, creating crisp edges through Maillard reactions and dehydration.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the potatoes roast, pat the lamb leg steaks dry and season both sides with the remaining 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Finely chop 2 garlic cloves and pick the rosemary leaves, then chop them.
~5 min
Drying the lamb promotes better searing, and seasoning ahead allows salt to penetrate and season the meat more deeply.
-
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Sear the lamb leg steaks for 3 minutes per side until well browned, then transfer to a plate to rest.
~6 min
Searing over high heat triggers Maillard browning, building flavor, while resting lets juices redistribute so they don't run out.
Searing Get the pan very hot and pat the meat dry; sear without moving until a deep brown crust forms, then flip once. Avoid crowding the pan, which steams the meat.
-
Lower the heat to medium, add the chopped garlic and rosemary to the pan and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in 100 ml water and scrape up the browned bits, simmering for 2 minutes to make a quick pan sauce.
~2 min
Adding garlic and rosemary to the pan blooms their flavors in oil, and the water deglazes the fond to build a quick sauce.
If the pan sauce reduces too much, add a splash more water to loosen it before spooning over the lamb.
Deglazing Pour liquid into the hot pan and immediately scrape the browned bits with a wooden spoon. The sizzle means the pan is hot enough; keep scraping until the fond dissolves.
-
While the sauce simmers, boil the peas in a small saucepan of water for 3 minutes until tender, then drain. Slice the rested lamb against the grain, spoon the pan sauce over, and serve with the roast potatoes and peas.
~3 min