Baked Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Vegetables (Slow Roast)

This roast dinner was inspired by lamb stew, but instead of cutting the leg of lamb into chunks for stew, the lamb is left whole. This delicious, tender roast leg of lamb is perfect when you want to spent a drizzly day inside cooking. Heartily seasoned with herbs, vegetables, and wine, this leg of lamb is roasted until it's falling-apart tender - for a total of seven hours! The wonderful aroma the lamb and vegetables create as they roast away makes this elegant, yet homey, dish as pleasant to cook as it is to serve.

1 (6 lb) leg of lamb
10 cloves garlic, cut lengthwise into sticks

Marinade:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, crushed
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
4½ cups dry white wine

Roasting Vegetables:
4 leeks, coarsely chopped
1 small celery root
5 large carrots, cut into large chunks
4 turnips, quartered
4 onions, quartered
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp. sea salt
¾ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

With a sharp knife, poke ½" deep holes scattered evenly over the surface of the leg of lamb. Insert the sticks of cloves garlic into the holes. Mix together the olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, thyme, sage, and black pepper.

Rub the surface of the meat with the herb paste and place the leg of lamb into a large Dutch oven. Carefully pour the white wine into the side of the pan; avoid pouring the wine over the meat itself, to keep the herb marinade in place. Refrigerate the leg of lamb for 2 hours, turning once every 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 275°F (140°C/120°C fan, Gas Mark 1).

Place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven and cook the lamb and marinade + 1 cup water, covered, for 3 hours, basting with the pan juices occasionally. Uncover the pan and place the roasting vegetables, sprinkled with the salt and pepper, around the sides of the lamb.

Continue roasting the leg of lamb and vegetables for 4 hours, basting occasionally, until the meat easily falls off the bone. Remove the roast leg of lamb and vegetables to a serving platter and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. While the roast lamb is resting, taste the pan juices and reduce them by simmering for a few minutes, if necessary. Serve the seven-hour lamb leg, sliced or shredded, with the warm pan juices.

Makes 6-8 servings.