A bone-in leg of lamb raised in the United States generally weighs 8 to 10 pounds; those raised in Australia and New Zealand can weigh 7 pounds or less. Figure on ¾ to 1 pound per person of bone-in lamb. Each leg has 2 or 3 bones: the hip or pelvis, the femur or thigh, and the shank. A butcher may remove all or some of these; we recommend asking them to remove the hip bone to make carving easier.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pat dry, trim, and prepare:

Rub the surface of the roast with:

Combine in a small bowl:

Rub this mixture all over the leg, or, if desired, reserve half of the seasoning and toss with:

Cut 15 to 20 evenly spaced slits in the roast, and insert the seasoned garlic slivers. Arrange the leg meatier side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Place it in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Roast until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 125° to 130°F for medium-rare, 1 ¾ to 2 ½ hours (the temperature will rise about 5 degrees out of the oven). Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

To carve a lamb leg, you have a choice. For large, thin, flat slices, consult the illustration shown below on the left: Grab the shank, or narrow end, of the roast with a kitchen towel and raise the leg at an angle off the platter. With a sharp carving knife held parallel to the bone, cut ¼-inch-thick slices from the meatiest part of the leg, continuing until you reach the bone. Turn the leg over and use the same slicing method until you reach the bone again. For thicker slices, carve as pictured in the two illustrations on the right: Start at the shank end and make vertical slices down to the bone. Then turn the knife parallel to the bone and cut the slices free from the bone. Continue slicing toward the wide end of the leg. Rotate the leg as you go to carve the meat off all the sides.

Serve with: