Ingredients :

• Leg of lamb — Get it with the bone in. Boneless leg of lamb exists, and it’s easier to carve, but it loses in flavor what it gains in convenience. The bone conducts heat and nourishes the juices—it’s what makes the sauce. Count on 300 to 350 g per person with the bone.
• Garlic — Six cloves. Don’t crush or mince them—slide them in slivers into deep incisions. They will cook directly inside the meat and flavor it from within. No substitute here, garlic is structural in this recipe.
• Fresh rosemary — Dried rosemary works, but fresh has a completely different aromatic power—more resinous, almost camphorous when you rub the needles between your fingers. If you don’t have any, thyme alone will do the trick.
• Lemon zest — This might be surprising in a roast. But lamb is a fatty, rich meat—the lemon doesn’t just perfume it, it balances it. It cuts through the heaviness without you really noticing it’s there. One tablespoon is enough, no more.