Stuffed Leg of Lamb with Balsamic-Fig-Basil Sauce

I am a lamb lover; it's by far my favorite meat, I made this meal for Xmas dinner and I was expecting perfection since the recipe sounded absolutely divine and I spent so much money on the ingredients. It was good--but not nearly as delicious as I was expecting. First, I would suggest you double or triple the herb/spice rub. Because it was NOT CLOSE TO ENOUGH. I really think that if I had done this, it might have been a five star. Double the liqueur amount. I subbed black cherry liqueur because I didn't want to buy a bottle of cassis I would never drink. Lastly, the cooking time is off for this recipe. Lamb just shouldnt be cooked more than medium rare, which means removal from the oven at 125-130 F on the thermometer. Check your old cookbooks ladies and gentlemen-- the ones printed before our nation became fearful -- medium rare is 130-135F, and meat always rises 5F internally after removal from the oven! That means 8-9 minutes per pound for lamb. My 5 lb roast was done in 40 min--so check it early!! Also, because it's butterflied, the ends of the lamb cook to well while the middle is medium rare, so you can even please the philistines who prfer well-done meat with this recipe.

This was a very interesting and elegant dish! The herbs really worked well together, but next time I'll use more rosemary. It wasn't quite as flavorful as I had hoped, though. Here are some tips I'll use for next time: Be very careful in the roasting time/temp. I roasted at 400 for the first thirty minutes and then turned it down to 335 for another 1 1/2 hours. My 5 1/2 pound leg was well-done and should have come out thirty minutes sooner. It was not dry, though. If you use dry figs in the sauce as I did, add some water to the vinegar or else it becomes too strong. Don't worry about the basil in the sauce, it works really well and doesn't overwhelm the dish with contrasting flavors. I even suggest using a little more. If you don't want to purchase creme de cassis, another option is to use red current jelly. I used both and added some of the jelly to the fig sauce as well. As other reviewers mentioned, I also used cranberries (dried) in my filling. I think as an alternative to the prunes, dates might taste nice in this. Next time, I may use both! Pistachios would be good in the filling in place of the almonds. This is a fun recipe to get creative with!

We loved this recipe. We live in a small country town and there was no lamb or figs near so I had to substitute. I used sliced pork sirloin roast and cherries instead of currants. I doubled the plum filling recipe so that I could have enough to put inbetween every slice. I had no string so I put the stuffed roast inside of a meatloaf pan and covered with foil. It was so good with the pork we can't even imagine how great it would be with lamb. I ordered a lamb online and can't wait to make it again. Hands down we agreed it was the best dish we've had in months.

I made this for my family Easter Sunday and it was a huge hit. I couldn't find currants so I added some dried cranberries. I also couldn't find the particular fig type called for in the recipe so I used "regular" figs. It turned out wonderfully! I cooked the lamb at 325 (instead of 400 directed in the recipe) and it was done (medium rare) in 2 hours. Stuffing, rolling and tying the lamb was a bit awkward but it sure did taste good!

Figs and balsamic vinegar give this recipe instant crowd appeal. The aged balsamic vinegar that we bought blends beautifully with figs in this recipe -- savory but sweet -- and combines beautifully with the fresh mint and the succulent lamb. A winner in my family!!

I made some changes to the recipe,substituting what I had on had: replaced the almonds with walnuts, substituted dates for figs, dried herbs for the fresh ones. This recipe is fabulous! I enjoyed the meat without the sauce for a more savory flavor and the sauce added a special sweet-tart addition. A previous poster was correct,cook it to 125-130 degrees.

Like whoa. I made this for a number of guests on New Years Eve and made quite the ruckus. Thank you for your recipe! I cooked it in a Dutch oven without the lid on the stove top for about 8 minutes to brown it up a tad. I moved it into the oven at 375 F with the lid on until the temperature probe read 145 F-150 F in the center. It came out beautifully.

This recipe is a winner! Made it for Easter and my lamb-hating husband and I both loved it! The key is the wonderful balsamic-fig sauce, which would also be good on duck. Do yourself a favor and buy a rolled boneless leg of lamb in netting. When you unroll it, cut out the major pockets of fat for a more pleasant dining experience. When you roll it back up with the stuffing, get an extra pair of hands to help you put it back into the netting. This works better than tying string, and is much easier. This recipe is very forgiving, as long as you are true to a few key things: a nice piece of lamb, a good quality balsamic, fresh basil (or even homegrown dried), figs (or perhaps fresh or dried cherries). Fresh Calamyrna figs weren't available so I used dried "regular" figs--worked just fine. I didn't have fresh mint, so left it out; didn't miss it (but would use it if I have it next time). I also omitted the almonds because I didn't think they were necessary; they weren't. I ran out of currants, so substituted golden raisins. I could just as easily have used craisins or brown raisins. I didn't have quite enough prunes, so filled in with a little dried apple, cherry and apricot. Couldn't tell the difference. I recommend using creme de cassis, but cherry brandy could substitute in a pinch. I didn't want to process the fresh rosemary, so just laid small sprigs inside the roast--very "organic" looking. (I pulled out the twigs while I was carving). I sprinkled powdered garlic on t

I am not a lamb lover AT ALL! In fact it baa's at me! But I hosted Easter and one of my guests could not eat ham, so I added this to my menu. It was THE hit of my Easter table! All of the adults loved it! I gave out every lick of the leftovers. I omitted the almonds due to allergies. And I could not find fresh figs, so I used dried. I also had a 5 pound leg of lamb. It took about 1 hour and 25 minutes to cook. Some advice - double the sauce! Everyone loved it!

This was really good! It was a hit in my pre-Xmas gathering. I sub'd cherries for the currants and used cherry liqueur. I couldn't bring myself to use the basil, it just didn't sound right (too many flavors) so I used more mint instead. I used a cooking method I'd read about for lamb--450 deg from 20 mins, 325 for the rest of the time.

After all the different grocery stores that I went to in order to find all of the ingredients and all the work I put into deboning a full leg of lamb on my own, I was thinking that this better be delicious. Well it ended up tasting better than I could have ever imaginined, especially since I didnt know what to think based on the odd combo of ingredients. I must add that I couldnt find figs and ended up using a fig preserve/jam instead; didnt have creme de cassis liqueur and just used brandy instead, and I didnt have coriander, I used dill instead. It didnt even matter because the end result was spectacular. I only wish more of my family liked lamb so I could make this the centerpiece of a holiday dinner. Though next time I am going to have the butcher debone and trim the fat for me. I served this with garlic roasted fresh cut string beans and greek style potatoes (from this website). Oh, and in order to keep everything moist I baked this covered, 30 minutes at 400F, 30 minutes at 325F. everything still browned perfectly. Simply magnificant.

The best lamb I have ever tasted. Even my son (who is not a fan of Lamb) ate two helpings! And figs! What a clever way to use up my tree's bumper crop! I will make this recipe again and again!

It is impossible to beat my roast leg of lamb (bone in) with garlic and rosemary - or so I thought until I tried this one. This came extremely close to making me change my mind. A lot more work to prep of course, but well worth it for a special occasion. Thank you.

This dish is utterly amazing. This was the first time I've ever tried roasting a leg of lamb. It was better than any lamb that I have had any where else around the globe! My family was dumb struck. I did double the basil, all the herbs, and added some more garlic cloves. I did use dried mission figs, and added extra water just to compensate. Since I didn't have half an inkling where to get the creme de cassis...So I combined currant jelly with cabarnet sauvignon. IT'S A KEEPER!

I made this yesterday for Easter and all of my guests loved it! (Even those that don't typically like lamb)... I followed the recipe as written with the exception of the creme de cassis (I completely forgot to pick it up so I just used some red wine which was all I had on hand). For the figs I was not able to find Calimyrna, so I used dried mission figs. I made double the sauce and poured it over the sliced lamb on a serving platter, it presented beautifully. My sister loved the balsamic reduction so much she literally wanted a glass to drink it with! Do use fresh herbs as it makes a tremendous difference in the flavor. An exceptional dish that will become my go-to recipe for lamb for sure! Thanks Barbara E for a great recipe!!!

LOVE this sauce. Great recipe, easy to modify to your own tastes, works with figs the best, dried is just as yummy if you don't have the required fresh and subs are fine. Although the star is the Fig sauce with its sweet bursty seeds. How do I make this sauce into a lollipop!

Last night was the 3rd time I made lamb using this recipe. Each time I make it is just a little different, depending on the ingredients I have on hand. Each time, however, this recipe for lamb is the absolute BEST! I used only prunes (in the stuffing AND sauce) since I didn't have figs. I doubled the herbs recipe as another reviewer suggested & I used Chambord instead of Cassis since that was what I had on hand. I ALWAYS use fresh herbs because there really is a BIG difference between dried & fresh when it comes to taste. Instead of currants, I used craisins. I also cooked it until the temp read 135 degrees, then let it rest while I cooked the veggies. Everyone took seconds & thirds! Even my picky 13 yr. old said it was good (SCORE!!). You really can't mess up this recipe, folks! Enjoy!

Very exotic recipes~ it's taste good ~

Very good with lots of great flavors for the holidays! Family loved it that doesn't usually eat lamb!

This was one of the best leg of lamb I have ever cooked! I did not change a thing!

Roughly followed the recipe, I'm much more of an add things by taste person than measuring. Basil was the key to the sauce in my opinion! Great recipe, was a hit at a dinner party! Just used sliced figs, mint, and almonds with some seasonings in the middle. Also, absolutely cook at 325 F.

Where to start with this dish?... My husband picked this one for Christmas dinner and I was a little leary. I can not believe how well all of the flavors work together! It also looked just beautiful when it was cut and served on the platter, it just looked wonderfully festive. This was a simply delicious dish - the lamb was tender, juicy and such an awesome change to the same old lamb, lemon and cilantro deal. If you want to impress guests with a dish that makes you look like a culinary artist THIS is IT! I still can't believe how wonderful all of the fruit was. I did have to trade the currants for cranberries because I couldn't find them but I am so happy I searched all over town for the other fresh ingredients! Thanks for a wonderful lamb dish!

If you want to impress, this is the lamb recipe to go for. You need to allow yourself plenty of time to get everything assembled, chopped, diced etc. But once that lamb is roasting in the oven, you will not be sorry you went the extra mile. My family loved this, and my 83 year old father told me it is a meal he will not soon forget. Now that is a compliment!

I simplified this recipe and substituted a couple of things I didn't have, but the whole thing turned out beautifully. A real winner.

wow, best lamb recipe I have ever had! If you want a restaurant quality lamb recipe, this is it ! made it for an impressive xmas dinner. loved it!

Great combo of flavors for Leg of Lamb.

This is a great stuffed leg of lamb, but without the sauce. I made approximately double the amount of herbs, as per other recommendations. I also used a dry red wine instead of the creme de cassis liqueur, because that's what I had on hand. I made the sauce with dried rather than fresh figs, and although it is certainly an interesting sauce, we found it completely overpowered the lamb. I'll make the roast again, definitely, but not the sauce. Oh, I also roasted it at 325F until the meat thermometer hit 130F, at which point I took it out to rest under foil. The temperature rose to 140F, and it was quite well done, but still moist and juicy. Definitely a success for my daughter's 19th birthday celebratory dinner .... sans sauce.

As everyone has already posted, this recipe is outstanding! My husband is not a fan of lamb. We had a pork loin handy and omitted the mint because we did not use lamb. I substituted dried cherries and cranberries for the currants because they were in the pantry. This year our fig tree put out a great crop. That was how I came to find this recipe - looking for more fig recipes! The fresh herbs are a must. Easy to put together. 45 min in a 400 degree oven, covered dish. Truly outstanding! Even though we changed the meat choice, I have no doubt the lamb would be great. The flavors in this recipe are top choice and marry well. I give it a five plus!

Seriously, first time lamb eating adults and children as young as 3 ate and loved this lamb. I made it for Christmas and it was a huge success. I prepped it the day before and reduced the balsamic while the lamb baked. I then finished the sauce after my sides were plated. Also i doubled the sauce and offered the extra on the side. The liquor, which can be mixed with wine to make a kir or champagne to make a kir royal, i tripled since the fresh herbs, prunes and currants, which i doubled, soaked it up fast. The only ingredient i subbed was the figs. I used Turkish dry figs and i used more mint then basil. The sauce was great with the lamb and beef meatballs i made as well. I cooked it to 130 degrees and wrapped it in foil and towels while i finished the rest of the meal so everything went out at the same time. It was cooked perfect. mr in middle and mw on edges. I would like to try and replace the almonds with cashews next time. I'll let you know if it works out.

This was pretty good. I had a larger group and made a bigger lamb. I found when I went to slice it, it unraveled and the concept of it disappeared. Most probably due to the larger cut of meat. This ended up being a costly dish. After spending the money for a good lamb, I had to buy prunes, currents, nuts, herbs, cassis and figs. There was alot of prep too with the mincing of the herbs. I am not sure I would make it again, but it was tasty once I tried to combine all of the flavors.

We made this for Easter and it was terrific. Fresh figs were not worth paying 79 cents each so I substituted dried ones. I also used dried apricots instead of prunes. I wouldn't have paired mint and basil, but it works with lamb

FANTASTIC!!!!!!

This lamb turned out great. My husband made it for Christmas Day and everyone really liked it. We usually have lamb for special dinners and use more garlic. This would be the only suggestion I might try in the future.

Wow. you made me a kitchen hero. Made this for an intimate dinner with friends...excellent, I was amazed by the "clean" dishes, they couldn't get enough. The only thing I did differently, trying to save some time, was use Balsamic Cream, I figured I could "heat and eat" rather than wait for the reduction. It was good, but way to "thick" I think. Great recipe. For side dishes I made some green and white aspargus topped with buttered bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and diced roasted red peppers and some couscous that took the Balsamic fig sauce quite nicely. Thank you.

This dish made our Easter. (18 guests, 2 whole legs) It's outstanding. Prep was substantial since I chopped all of the fresh ingredients myself. Well worth the effort. There wasn't so much as a piece of fat left and I'm talking about young kid's and adults alike. Be careful not to overcook it. WONDERFUL!!!

The wonderful combination of figs and balsamic will impress your guests.

did not care for this recipie because i love lamb and i could not taste the lamb at all just all the spices

Delicious!

Loved it. So did everyone at my party. The fig sauce was the best part. They were putting it on my prime rib too. My son added more fig than the recipe called for and I put a dab of creme de cassis in it. I will be using this one again.

I come back to this recipe again and again. It is impressive and the flavors ae complex.

Just wonderful! Our favorite lamb dish yet. I also used dried cranberries instead of currants and sliced almonds instead of salted ones. Prepped with a food processor and it was ready for the oven in just a few minutes.

This recipe has become a new holiday tradition for our family -- I was drawn to it because it features so many favorite ingredients -- figs & prunes, balsamic vinegar, garlic, fresh mint& basil, and of course leg of lamb -- it makes an elegant presentation and yet very easy to prepare -- my 2 teenage daughters asked for the recipe!

Yes yes and yes. Great taste. This will be repeated for some friends.

Great selection of fruites and herbs to go with the lamb. Very impressive recipe!

perfect holiday recipe! kela

Different and impressive to serve especially during the holidays.

I loved it...but, too many different flavors, I guess, for the others. It was rated as "average to good" by most guests. I was more proud than my guest liked it.

absolutely THE best lamb i have ever tasted or prepared. it was a hit with lamb lovers and non lamb lovers alike. i followed the recipe exactly and it did not let me down! i plan to prepare this again for our easter dinner... thank you!!

Like the other reviewers I used regular figs and cranberries. Currents are really hard to find. I also made a simple syrup using the cranberries to substitute the creme de cassis liqueur. It point blank is the best single item that I have ever eaten. Thanks!

OMG!! This was absolutely fantastic! The sauce was incredibly easy and will be made again to use on other meats, like pork. The lamb itself ended up well-done. I should have monitored meat thermometer closer, but we enjoyed it tremendously.

I made this stuffed lamb for Easter dinner. It was fantastic! Easy and delicious! I don't normally enjoy left over lamb but I must say we all thought it tasted even better (if possible!) I will make this again.

Exceptional recipe however a few small changes. I used about half the amount of almonds, crushed them and used smoked salted almonds. Instead of currants which I could not find I used Goldenberries. They can be found in any health food store. Also, the sauce was wayyyyy to sweet. cut the honey out, doubled the recipe and it was perfect.

this is an amazing recepie. i made it for the new year's dinner- everyone loved it! peopled talked about it months later. i will make it a highlight of every new year dinner from now on.

I made this for my husband and son as I don't eat lamb. I followed other reviewers suggestion and doubled the spice mixture. Definitely a necessity. I also substituted dried cranberries for the currants. When all was said and done, they enjoyed the lamb, but felt the amount of work did not match the taste.

I have died and gone to heaven. This recipe is wonderful. The spices and herbs counter the sweet fruits quite well. I used finely chopped walnuts and cranberries for the stuffing in place of currants and almonds, and left out the mint (out of personal preference.) Changed nothing on the fig sauce! Delightful and a masterpiece. Thank you, thank you!

A simple and sophisticated meal. Very flavorful. The Fig-Basil Sauce is an original. This recipe will be on our holiday menu.

I made this yesterday for Easter dinner,and it was outstanding.Everyone raved about it.It was well worth the effort.I thought there may be a little too much going on with the fruit nut and herb combinations but the flavors were really great together.The balsamic fig basil sauce would also be very nice served with grilled lamb chops.I know some of you had mentioned you had a hard time finding the figs or the currants.If you are fortunate enought to live near a Trader Joe's Market I was able to find everything I needed for this recipe there with the exception of the liquor.I would definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing.

Divine! I served this for Easter Sunday dinner. I prepared each set of ingredients Saturday and set them aside for easy prep on Sunday. It took some time to chop and measure all the ingredients, but it is worth it!!! My family wanted to rate this as a 10, even though they know the highest rating is 5. I will try this recipe with pork and possibly chicken, since we cannot afford leg of lamb very often.

This was one of the best lamb dishes I've ever had, it was restaurant quality. I was so impressed. I didn't have fresh figs so I used dried and it was still wonderful. Definitely a keeper!!!

I've been making this recipe for the last 4 years for Easter. This year making in it again. My guests are asking ahead 'will you make the lamb?" they all love it. And we are not usually the lamb eaters!!! My sister went to a restaurant and inspired by this recipe decided to try a lamb dish. She called me to say how disappointed she was with the restaurant prepared lamb - this one is SO MUCH BETTER! It became a legend:)

I'm about to make this for the 2nd time. I omit the creme de casis and use pecans instead of almonds. Since our house in on a pecan grove we stay pretty loyal to that nut ;p Excellent meal!

Love it! Made it for Easter and was a big hit! Even my picky eater teenage sone love it. He is allergic to nuts so I made a smaller piece for him without the almonds! Takes a long time to prep though! I need a good chopper (lol)

A wonderful way to make a holiday special--a gourmet delight!!

Love this dish.

This recipe has one of my favorite combinations for the sauce - balsamic vinegar, figs and basil. It is a great flavor for lamb!

We hosted a New Years dinner for 20 people and made this dish calculated for 14 servings (the serving sizes are generous so you may want to reduce the number by 2 servings). The recipe was easy to make and EVERYONE raved about it including the non-lamb eaters. We are making it again tonight with a pork roast for family members who will not eat lamb. We highly recommend this dish!

Even after missing a few ingredients (corriander and mint) I still made this dish. I substituted canned plums in syrup for the figs and this recipe was just wonderful. The fruit flavors went very well with the lamb - everyone loved it. I recommend only allowing the lamb to reach an internal temp of 150 (about medium well) but it's up to your personal preference. I will definitely make this again. My husband loved it - and never liked lamb prior to this. Thanks for the post. Laura Swink

I loved the taste of the balsamic and basil melded together in this recipe, along with the fig. This will be a great main dish for my holiday x-mas menu. Vickilynn

Cooking with fruit is one of my favorites. I like the combination of sweet fruit and sour ingredients. Fresh spices are always best.

this was good. i don't think for the effort it is worth the taste, but lamb was on sale and it turned out well.

Delicious and absolutely holiday meal-worthy!

I tried this for this last christmas eve party with my family. Even the people who said they hated lamb liked it. I made enough for 22 people that made the prep time alot longer. Finding the currants was also very dificult due to my local. Great recipie and I will use it again.

This is an amazing recipe. We have made this recipe for our extended family the past two Easters now and it was Terrific both years. It has become a new tradition.

Love the sauce. Lamb was a bit undercooked.

Wonderful flavors. Not as big a production as you might think. Don't be put off by the unusual spice combinations - they really are good, especially the basil in the sauce!

Made this for Christmas dinner and it came out fantastic! Everyone wanted seconds, even my picky fiance. Great recipe!

My extended family DEMAND this recipe for Christmas dinner, since I first made it in 2010. 2010. I've successfully substituted dried cranberries for currants, and dates for the prunes (very tasty). We had no fresh mint, once, and my dried mint just didn't make the grade. Even my wife, who detests lamb, loves this recipe. Get mere stuffing, if the lamb flavor is too strong for your taste; otherwise serve yourself less.

Ok, it's true. Even if you hate lamb, you'll like or love this recipe. It's labor intensive but absolutely worth the effort. The only mistake I made was not reducing the balsamic vinegar enough before adding the other ingredients. I thought I had ruined dinner. The sauce tasted and smelled waaaay to vinegary. But I added some brown sugar and just kept stirring over medium heat until dissolved and reduced a bit more. Success! The lamb haters went back for seconds!

Delicious sauce! Instead of using figs and balsamic, I used fig flavored balsamic from whole foods. Also made this with pork instead of lamb. Tasty!

I made this recipe for Christmas Eve dinner and everyone loved it! I kept to the recipe pretty closely, although I used my own mince (prunes, raisens, cranberries, currents soaked in rum and brandy)it turned out wonderfully. I used the lamb drippings to add to the fig sauce for added flavour. This main was served with lemon and rosemary risotto and french cut lemon and herb green beans. Will be making this again.

The directions for making this could be somewhat simplified, but it turned out extremely well. I got rave reviews from my guests and family.

I did a lot of things different, like wrapped prosciutto around the outside after smearing it with an herbal/ mushroom/garlic/beef demi-glace mash. Stuffed the inside w/ homemade breadcrumb stuffing w/ dried cherries. Served it all for easter cooked med-rare. Delicious!

What a knockout! Followed the recipe, easy, and fabulous. guests loved it! I will use it again.

LOVE this one! It was a huge hit! Everyone raved about it. I did add a lot more mint & a bit more prunes.

I made this for a dinner party on Sunday. It was outstanding! Everyone loved this recipe. I served it will Sunday mashed potatoes, fresh green bean almandine and apricot squash...delish! My only minor complaint was the amount of time it took to get it all together. I'll make this again for someone special!

I've made this lamb 3 times for a special dinner and I'll be making it for this Easter. Did not use the almonds or the coriander but love the fresh mint, rosemary, thyme and basil. I purchased a boneless leg from Costco and after filling managed to squeeze it back into the original netting. The balsamic fig sauce is the bomb and I could eat that with a spoon!

Wonderful recipe especially for those who say they do not like LAMB! The creme de cassis liqueur makes a huge difference! Highly recommended!

I used dried herbs because that's what I had on hand. I also used craisins in place of currants, Chambord in place of Cassis and dried figs in place of fresh ones. Everything tasted super!

I don't like lamb. I should say, I didn't like lamb. But the family loves lamb so I decided to make this recipe for Easter dinner. I went exactly by the recipe. The family raved so much about the dish when it was served I decided to try a bite. It was delicious. It is now part of our annual Easter traditions. Thanks Barbara E. for the recipe !

This is our go-to holiday recipe. The ingredients aren't always easy to find, particularly for last-minute shoppers, but substitutions always work. This year it's dried figs marinated in the creme de cassis instead of fresh figs, and extra raisins instead of prunes. The complex mixture of sweet, savory, piquant, designer vinegar, herbs, meat, and vegetable is lots closer to holiday fare from the 17th century than, say, turkey.

Our family loved this elegant dish for our Easter feast. The only substitution I made was using raspberry liquor instead of Creme de Cassis. I would have used the later but was unable to find it in a small container. This recipe was a little more exotic than we are used to so I was a little nervous about it. The result was outstanding though! Loved the complex flavors in the stuffing and savory sweetness of the balsamic fig basil sauce. Our guests called it "elegant" and my wife is hoping I do it again next year for Easter, if not sooner! Definitely recommend it.

Had to make a bunch of subs, but still marvellous to all

Not too complicated and tasted delicious.

it was delicious but didn't come out as pretty as pictured we could not make the rolled out lamb into a neat rectangle to roll up so when sliced it mostly fell apart.

Just a comment that the video doesn't load...Looks like a fabulous recipe!

I followed the recipe with no substitutions. AMAZING!!! I will make it like this from now on! I cooked it at 350 degrees, checked it at 40 minutes, then another 20 minutes, and then another 10 minutes until it reached 135 degrees. It was medium well in the center. I wont cook it as long next time as I did let it rest the 15 minutes, so I feel it was just a little over done. EXCELLENT Recipe for lamb!!

Wow. I LOVED the seasoning. I had a 5 pound lamb but the way it was shaped after we unrolled it we decided to cut it in half so it was now only 2.5 pounds. We cooked one in the instant Pot and one in the oven as directed. After 25 minutes at 400 in the oven, it was not done at all so I added another 10 minutes and it still was only 100 degrees inside. I cooked it a little more and then decided to take it out because the Intant pot one was done. I doubled all the seasonings and I was very happy with it. I probably didn't need to double the fig sauce. I used some dried figs that were not the figs mentioned. I also found a bottle of the liquor that was the size of an airline bottle for only $3. My kids gave me 8.5 and 9 rating. Husband said 9, so this is really high so I will make this for an occasion and now know to cook it longer in the oven and lesss time in the instant pot. 25 minutes in the inlant pot would have been fine. Then glaze in the oven. I should not have cooked it more in the pot.

I made this last Christmas and it was such a hit, they refuse Christmas dinner this year unless I make it again (how boring- but ok). It was easy enough to make. I definitely would triple the herb recipe and use the currants and cassis if you can find it. I also would suggest only the first 25-30 mins at 400 and then lowering your oven temp to 325. Lastly as other posters have mentioned- TAKE IT OUT OF THE OVEN AT 125-130. Over cooked lamb has no flavor- let it rest under foil till temp hits 130-135. I promise DEEEELISH!! oh and make extra balsamic dressing- it goes fast!!

9/1/2017 update: Wow again! I used this recipe, following it almost exactly, to make venison, and it turned out great! I made two 1 lb 6 oz roasts using a little more than half the amount of ingredients listed for the 4lb lamb roast for the filling and rub. I added 2 Tbs of olive oil to the filling because venison is so lean, and I butterflied then pounded the roasts to make them each about an inch thick and rectangular in shape. I roasted them side-by-side on a rack in a roasting pan, at 400 degrees F, until the internal temp was 145 degrees, and that took about an hour, then wrapped them in foil and rested 15 minutes while I made the full-sized pan of balsamic vinegar/fig sauce. I haven't liked venison before, but this was delicious, and I would definitely make it again. 4/16/2017: Wow! This recipe is awesome! I made this for Easter dinner, exactly as described, and I would not change a thing. Wonderful! It was well worth the expense and the trip to the store to get the fresh spices, currants, and creme de cassis liquor. Ours came out well done after roasting it until it was 140 degrees in the center and resting 15 minutes... but that was fine, it was still delicious and tender. I don't usually like lamb, but this recipe fixed that for me and also for one of my guests: she told me when I invited her that she would definitely not eat the lamb (I made her a cornish game hen)... but she tasted the lamb, took a serving, and went back for seconds. She was flabbergas