“I’m not a lamb person unless it’s this leg of lamb,” writes author and food stylist Rebekah Peppler in her masterful ode to French cooking, À Table. In this version of a Provençal classic, a whole leg of lamb is braised low and slow with a few aromatics and some dry wine until the meat is so tender you could eat it with a spoon—in fact, this dish is commonly known as gigot à la cuillère (or “spoon lamb”) in France.
A popular mainstay on the table of Peppler’s Parisian home, this succulent lamb is paired with a vibrant green, garlicky persillade, providing a sharp counterpoint to the rich meat. Serve with cheesy new potatoes and a citrusy radish salad for a well-rounded meal. Any leftover lamb can be deliciously repurposed in sandwiches with bitter greens and plenty of mayo.
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
Ingredients
6 Servings
Lamb
1
4–6-lb. bone-in leg of lamb
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
¼
cup extra-virgin olive oil
1
large onion, chopped
5
garlic cloves, lightly crushed
8
sprigs thyme
2
bay leaves
2
cups dry rosé
Persillade and assembly
1
cup (packed) parsley leaves with tender stems
6
garlic cloves
½
cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Lamb
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 275°. Season lamb liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high. Cook lamb, turning occasionally with tongs, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Step 2
Add onion, garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to pot. Pour in rosé and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
Step 3
Return lamb to pot, cover with a lid, and transfer to oven. Roast until meat is very tender and nearly falling off the bone, 5–7 hours.
Persillade and assembly
Step 4
At least 2 hours after the lamb has been cooking, pulse parsley and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Pulse in oil just to combine. Season persillade with salt and pepper; transfer to a small bowl.
Step 5
Carefully remove lamb from cooking liquid and transfer to a platter. (Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and skim fat; save liquid to use in soups, in braises, or for making beans.) Serve lamb with persillade alongside.
Do ahead: Persillade can be made 5 hours ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
Recipes adapted with permission from ‘À Table: Recipes for Cooking + Eating the French Way’ by Rebekah Peppler. Copyright © 2021 by Rebekah Peppler. Published by Chronicle Books.
Buy it on Amazon or Bookshop.org
“I’m not a lamb person unless it’s this leg of lamb,” writes author and food stylist Rebekah Peppler in her masterful ode to French cooking, À Table. In this version of a Provençal classic, a whole leg of lamb is braised low and slow with a few aromatics and some dry wine until the meat is so tender you could eat it with a spoon—in fact, this dish is commonly known as gigot à la cuillère (or “spoon lamb”) in France.A popular mainstay on the table of Peppler’s Parisian home, this succulent lamb is paired with a vibrant green, garlicky persillade, providing a sharp counterpoint to the rich meat. Serve with cheesy new potatoes and a citrusy radish salad for a well-rounded meal. Any leftover lamb can be deliciously repurposed in sandwiches with bitter greens and plenty of mayo.All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.Ingredients6 ServingsLamb14–6-lb. bone-in leg of lambKosher salt, freshly ground pepper¼cup extra-virgin olive oil1large onion, chopped5garlic cloves, lightly crushed8sprigs thyme2bay leaves2cups dry roséPersillade and assembly1cup (packed) parsley leaves with tender stems6garlic cloves½cup extra-virgin olive oilKosher salt, freshly ground pepperPreparationLambStep 1Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 275°. Season lamb liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high. Cook lamb, turning occasionally with tongs, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a plate.Step 2Add onion, garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to pot. Pour in rosé and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon.Step 3Return lamb to pot, cover with a lid, and transfer to oven. Roast until meat is very tender and nearly falling off the bone, 5–7 hours.Persillade and assemblyStep 4At least 2 hours after the lamb has been cooking, pulse parsley and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Pulse in oil just to combine. Season persillade with salt and pepper; transfer to a small bowl.Step 5Carefully remove lamb from cooking liquid and transfer to a platter. (Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and skim fat; save liquid to use in soups, in braises, or for making beans.) Serve lamb with persillade alongside.Do ahead: Persillade can be made 5 hours ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature.Recipes adapted with permission from ‘À Table: Recipes for Cooking + Eating the French Way’ by Rebekah Peppler. Copyright © 2021 by Rebekah Peppler. Published by Chronicle Books. Buy it on Amazon or Bookshop.org