The Ultimate Fuss-Free Spring Lamb Roast for Easter

A beautifully effortless feast to share with loved ones

Spring is in the air, and it’s that lovely time of year when we start to gather again — around the table, with our favourite people, to share good food and make new memories.

This recipe delivers all of that. It’s abundant, comforting, and feels like a real occasion — yet it’s beautifully simple and completely fuss-free. The kind of dish you can pop in the oven and forget about, letting it gently cook away while you spend your time where it really matters: with your loved ones.

Whether you’re celebrating Easter or just embracing the slower pace and soft light of spring, this slow-roasted leg of lamb is a centrepiece without the stress — a true one-tray wonder layered with seasonal veg, herbs, and bold flavour.

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Ingredients

For the lamb & veg

• 3 large white onions, halved

• 2 whole bulbs of garlic, halved horizontally (no need to peel)

• 2 packs (approx. 900g) Sweet Spear Carrots, washed but not peeled

• ½ a white cabbage, roughly shredded

• A few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary

• Olive oil

• Sea salt flakes

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 600ml cooled stock (lamb, red wine, chicken or vegetable — use whatever you love or have on hand)

• 1 large leg of lamb (bone-in, approx. 2–2.5kg)

• Sweet paprika, for dusting

• Mixed dried herbs

Optional homemade spice mix (if not using pre-made shawarma blend):

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp ground allspice

• A pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

For the potatoes

• 1kg small new potatoes, washed (no peeling or parboiling!)

• Olive oil

• Sea salt flakes & black pepper

• A few garlic cloves, unpeeled

To finish

• Good-quality shop-bought mint sauce

• A small bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped

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Method

1. Prepare your tray

Line a large roasting tray with greaseproof paper — this helps massively with washing up later.

2. Layer in the vegetables

Lay the halved onions cut-side up in the tray. Nestle in the halved garlic bulbs cut-side up. Add your washed sweet spear carrots whole, and scatter over the shredded cabbage. Tuck in a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Drizzle generously with olive oil, and season with sea salt and black pepper.

3. Add the stock

Pour 600ml of cooled stock gently over the veg — it will steam and flavour everything beautifully from below.

4. Season the lamb

Place the leg of lamb on top of the veg. Drizzle it with olive oil and season well with sea salt, pepper, a dusting of sweet paprika, a generous sprinkle of mixed dried herbs, and either your shawarma spice mix or a ready-made blend. Rub it all in well with your hands. Tuck in a few extra sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and finish with a final drizzle of olive oil.

5. Cover and roast

Cover the tray very tightly with foil — really press it around the edges. This is key to keeping everything tender and juicy. Pop it in a preheated oven at 160°C fan for 5 hours. You can baste occasionally if you like, but you truly don’t need to.

6. Potatoes go in later

After 3 hours, place your washed baby potatoes onto another tray. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and a few unpeeled garlic cloves. No peeling, no boiling, no fuss. Roast in the oven for the final 2 hours alongside the lamb.

7. Uncover and finish

For the final 20 minutes, remove the foil from the lamb so the top can brown and caramelise just a little.

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To serve

Bring the tray straight to the table for that big wow moment. Use two forks to tear the lamb apart right there. Remove the bone, drizzle over some good-quality mint sauce, and sprinkle generously with finely chopped fresh mint.

Spoon the veg and all those gorgeous juices onto a serving platter, lay the lamb over the top, and serve with your tray of garlicky, golden roast potatoes.

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A note from me

This is one of those recipes that looks after you while you’re busy living — no fuss, no stress, just a beautiful meal to share. It’s about slowing down, letting the oven do the work, and serving something full of love to the people you love.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter, however you spend it. Whether you celebrate or not, may it be filled with sunshine (fingers crossed), happy gatherings, and plenty of joy around the table.

And truly — make this lamb. You won’t regret it.

With love,

Cristy x