Celebratory Roast Lamb with Pomegranate and Honey Glaze Recipe
This stunning roast lamb transforms any gathering into a motive, with meat that falls apart at the touch of your fork. The pomegranate and honey glaze creates gorgeous caramelised edges whilst keeping everything moist inside and delivering an incredible depth of flavour. Perfect for celebrations, a recipe that’s surprisingly simple to master at home.
Ingredients
- For the lamb:
- 2kg leg of lamb, bone-in, at room temperature (crucial for even cooking)
- 6 large cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers
- 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the pomegranate and honey glaze:
- 150ml fresh pomegranate juice (from about 2 large pomegranates, or shop-bought)
- 4 tablespoons runny honey
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- Seeds from 1 large pomegranate (about 150g), divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- For serving:
- Fresh pomegranate arils for garnish
- Fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs
- Extra honey for drizzling
Directions
Step 1
Right, let's get everything prepped and ready before we even touch that beautiful leg of lamb. Peel 6 large garlic cloves and slice them lengthways into thin slivers, about 3-4mm thick - these are going to be tucked into the meat later. Take your 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peel it, and cut it into thin matchsticks roughly the same length as your garlic slivers, then pop these in a small bowl and set aside. Now, for the glaze you'll be making later, finely mince 3 separate garlic cloves and grate 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger into another bowl - keep these separate from your slivers and matchsticks, yeah? If you're juicing fresh pomegranates rather than using shop-bought juice, now's the time to do that - you'll need about 150ml, which is roughly 2 large pomegranates. Getting all this sorted now means when you start working with the lamb, everything flows beautifully and you're not scrambling around looking for ingredients - this is proper chef prep, and it makes all the difference.
Step 2
Remove your lamb from the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature, which is absolutely crucial for even roasting throughout. Pat the lamb completely dry with paper towels, as any moisture will prevent proper browning. Using a sharp paring knife, make about 20-25 small incisions all over the lamb, each about 2cm deep, pushing your knife into the meat at slight angles. This is where the magic happens, as these pockets will hold the aromatic garlic and ginger, infusing the meat with incredible flavour from the inside out.
Step 3
Push a sliver of garlic and a matchstick of ginger into each incision you've made, really tucking them in so they're snug and won't fall out during roasting. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, and cinnamon to create an aromatic paste. Rub this mixture absolutely everywhere over the lamb, massaging it into every nook and cranny with your hands, don't be shy here. The spices will form a gorgeous crust as the lamb roasts. Place the prepared lamb in a roasting tin and let it sit whilst you preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F.
Step 4
Roast the lamb at the high temperature for exactly 20 minutes to create that beautiful golden-brown crust on the outside, which locks in all those wonderful juices. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F without opening the door, allowing the heat to settle gradually. Continue roasting for 1 hour and 30 minutes for medium doneness, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 60-63°C for medium (it will rise another 5 degrees whilst resting). If you prefer your lamb more well done, cook until it reaches 68-70°C internal temperature.
Step 5
Whilst the lamb is roasting, make your stunning pomegranate and honey glaze. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until they smell absolutely incredible and start to turn golden, but watch carefully as they can burn quickly. Pour in the pomegranate juice, honey, and vinegar, then bring everything to a gentle bubble, stirring to dissolve the honey completely.
Step 6
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the glaze simmer gently for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's reduced by half and has thickened to the consistency of maple syrup. It should coat the back of a spoon and leave a clear line when you draw your finger through it. Stir in half the pomegranate seeds and the salt, then remove from heat. This glaze is going to transform your lamb into something truly spectacular, creating those gorgeous caramelised, jewel-like edges.
Step 7
About 25 minutes before your lamb is ready, brush half of the pomegranate glaze generously all over the meat, making sure to get into all the crevices. Return the lamb to the oven and continue roasting. After 15 minutes, brush with another layer of glaze, then roast for the final 10 minutes. This double glazing creates incredible depth of flavour and that stunning glossy finish you're after. The sugars in the honey and pomegranate will caramelise beautifully without burning at this lower temperature.
Step 8
Once the lamb reaches your desired internal temperature, remove it from the oven and immediately brush with any remaining glaze whilst it's piping hot, so the glaze melts into all those beautiful crevices. Transfer the lamb to a warm serving platter and tent it loosely with foil. This resting period is absolutely crucial, don't skip it. Let the lamb rest for at least 20-25 minutes before carving, allowing all those precious juices to redistribute throughout the meat. If you cut too early, all that flavour will run out onto your board instead of staying in the meat where it belongs.
Step 9
Whilst the lamb rests, pour any pan juices from the roasting tin into a small saucepan, scraping up all those caramelised bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon (this is liquid gold). Skim off any excess fat from the surface if needed, then warm gently over low heat. Carve the lamb into thick slices against the grain, which ensures maximum tenderness. Arrange the slices on your serving platter, then drizzle over the warm pan juices and scatter with the remaining fresh pomegranate arils for that gorgeous pop of colour and freshness. Finish with a final drizzle of honey, tuck in some fresh herb sprigs, and serve immediately whilst everything is still beautifully warm. The combination of tender meat, sweet-tart glaze, and those jewel-like pomegranate seeds creates an absolutely show-stopping centrepiece that's worthy of any celebration.
Nutrition per serving
Sunnah
Learn simple practices and etiquettes found in the tradition that transform every meal into an act of worship, increase you in beneficial knowledge and add barakah into every bite.
Sacred Guidance
Ginger
And they will be given to drink a cup of wine whose mixture is of ginger, from a fountain within Paradise named Salsabil.
Lamb
During Battle of Trench, Jabir slaughtered a lamb to feed the Prophet ﷺ and companions.
Vinegar
What an excellent condiment vinegar is.
Garlic
And recall when you said, 'O Moses, we can never endure one kind of food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions.'
Olive Oil
Eat olive oil and use it on your hair and skin, for it comes from a blessed tree.
Olives
By the fig and the olive ˹of Jerusalem˺, and Mount Sinai, and this secure city ˹of Mecca˺.
Honey
And your Lord inspired the bees: 'Make ˹your˺ homes in the mountains, the trees, and in what people construct, and feed from ˹the flower of˺ any fruit ˹you please˺ and follow the ways your Lord has made easy for you.' From their bellies comes forth liquid of varying colours, in which there is healing for people. Surely in this is a sign for those who reflect.
Pomegranate
In them are fruit and palm trees and pomegranates. So which of the favours of your Lord would you deny?
Prophetic Etiquette
Sit down to eat, rather than eating while standing or walking.
Eat from what is nearest to you on the plate, and do not reach across for food that is distant.
Take small morsels of food, and chew your food well.
Do not blow on hot food or drinks; allow them to cool naturally.
Do not eat or drink from gold or silver utensils.
Lick your fingers clean before wiping them, as there may be barakah in what remains on them. Then wash your hands.
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