Want to change up the ol’ rosemary-red-wine-dijon lamb flavour? I have just the thing with this Roast Lamb with White Wine and Major Grey’s Chutney glaze.
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A Word About Major Grey’s
Major Grey’s Chutney was supposedly ‘invented’ by a British Army Officer living in then British India. It is a mango base with elements of raisins, lime, onion, tamarind. It is vaguely reminiscent of very mild curry .. emphasis on vaguely! It has a very unique flavour but it is not overwhelming in any way. You won’t be dreaming of curry or being reminded of it the next day.
You can find Major Grey’s Chutney in the International aisle of you grocery store (Indian) or where they keep other things like mint jelly, HP sauce etc. Patak’s is an Indian brand, Black and Crosswell is a British brand.
The Major Grey’s Chutney is what supplies the signature flavour for this dish. I glazed the roast 30 minutes before the end of the cook time and also served Major Grey’s on the side.
The Menu
You can make this whole dinner in the oven. I made Oven Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes Anna Light. Potatoes Anna are similar to scalloped potatoes but without the dairy. So they are lighter in calories and taste. Served with a bit of melted butter they are ‘to die for’.
You can cook asparagus fairly quickly by steaming or grilling but I aslo like the slow roasted approach. You wrap them in parchment paper with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt. They come out tender but not soggy. This method works particularly well if you have fairly thick stalks. Thick stalks can be ‘woody’ but if you snap them off where they want to break naturally and slow roast they will be tender and flavourful.
Back to the roast lamb… I used a boneless leg of lamb. You can buy them with the bone in but they are awkward to carve so I much prefer the boneless version.
Cooking Chart
You will want to begin by searing the roast on all sides. There are actually 2 ways to do this.
- You can sear it on the stove top with a skillet or your dutch oven and some oil over high heat. You will turn it after a few minutes on each exposed surface. It usually takes 3 or 4 minutes but it is really whatever time it takes to achieve a brown crust on the surface.
- Or, you can start the roast in the oven at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes before reducing the heat to 325 degrees.
You can pick whichever method you prefer. If I was only roasting the lamb in the oven I would use the oven method because it just seems easier. But – I was also making the Potatoes Anna and I didn’t want them in the oven at 450 degrees. So I pan-seared and then finished in the oven. You will also notice that I actually roasted the meat at 350 degrees. I did this because I was baking the potatoes at the same time and I wanted the oven higher than 325. Because I used a slightly higher roasting temperature I checked the internal temperature after 60 minutes when I added the glaze.
In general you can plan on about 20 minutes per pound of meat for cooking. But the most accurate way to determine doneness is with a meat thermometer. ( I use one by Pampered Chef. When testing for doneness insert the probe into the center of the roast. If there is a bone make sure you do not touch it with the probe).
- 110 degrees F (42 degrees C) is rare
- 120 degrees F (58 degrees C) is medium-rare
- 145 degrees F (68 degrees C) is medium-well
Cooking your lamb beyond this temperature will risk a tough, dry roast. (USDA safety guidelines recommend cooking roasts to 145 degrees F.)
Plan to remove the roast about 15-20 minutes before it is done, or when your thermometer registers 10 degrees BELOW what you are aiming for as a final cooked temperature. When you tent the roast (cover loosely with foil) it will continue to cook. The juices that gravitated to the surface during roasting will redistribute through out the meat and you will have a tender, juicy roast.
Wine Pairing
Major Grey’s Chutney has an interesting unmistakeable flavour- hard to describe but it has a fruity, slightly curried (very slight) flavour.
I would lean toward an aromatic Viognier or spicy Chenin Blanc. An aged Riesling could work well too. Try to use the same wine in the roasting liquid as you plan to serve at the table.
Roast Lamb with White Wine and Major Grey's
Ingredients
- 1 5 lb boneless leg of lamb
- 3 Tbsps vegetable oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup white wine
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 onion diced
- 1 jar Major Grey's Chutney Use a couple of Tbsps for the glaze and reserve the rest to serve on the side.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove wrapper from roast but do not remove the netting or string ties from the roast.
- Heat oil on high in the bottom or your Dutch oven.
- Sear the roast until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Set roast aside while you add broth, wine, garlic and onion to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Return roast to the Dutch oven and roast uncovered in the oven.
- Check the internal temperature after 60 minutes. Brush a couple of Tablespoons of Major Grey's Chutney over top and sides of the roast.
- Check the internal temperature again and remove the roast when it registers 10 degrees below the target finished temperature. If you are not using a thermometer remove roast from the oven after a total of 80 minutes.
- Tent roast loosely with foil and allow to rest 20 minutes.
- Slice and serve with Major Grey's Chutney on the side.