Lamb and Rosemary Traybake with Roast Vegetables

About This Recipe

Lamb is central to Australian home cooking, and this traybake is built around the country's habit of roasting a whole tray of vegetables underneath and around the meat so everything cooks together and shares the same pan juices. Lamb chops or cutlets are seasoned simply with rosemary, garlic and olive oil, letting the meat's own flavor carry the dish rather than a heavy marinade. The vegetables — potato, pumpkin and red onion — go into the oven first since they need longer to roast through, and the lamb is added partway through so it finishes with a well-browned crust without overcooking. Basting everything with the pan juices halfway through roasting keeps the vegetables from drying out and picks up flavor from the rendering lamb fat. This is straightforward Sunday-roast cooking, the kind that fills the whole house with the smell of rosemary and requires little more than a single tray and an oven.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8lamb chops or cutlets
• 1.5 lbpotatoes(cut into wedges)
• 1 lbpumpkin(cut into wedges)
• 1red onion(cut into wedges)
• 0.33 cupolive oil(divided)
• 4 sprigsfresh rosemary
• 4 clovesgarlic(smashed)
• 2 tspfine sea salt(divided)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the vegetables first

   Toss potatoes, pumpkin and onion with half the olive oil, half the salt, half the garlic and 2 rosemary sprigs on a large tray. Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Season the lamb

   Meanwhile, rub the lamb chops with remaining oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Add the lamb

   After 20 minutes, push the vegetables to one side and nestle the lamb chops onto the tray with the remaining rosemary sprigs.

   Adding the lamb partway through keeps it from overcooking while the vegetables get the full roasting time they need.

4. 4

   Continue roasting

   Roast 20-25 minutes more, turning the lamb once, until it reaches your preferred doneness and the vegetables are tender and caramelized.

5. 5

   Rest

   Let the lamb rest on the tray for 5 minutes before serving.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve straight from the tray, spooning the pan juices over the lamb and vegetables.

Variations

• •

  Add whole cherry tomatoes in the last 10 minutes for a juicy, slightly sweet addition.

• •

  Swap pumpkin for sweet potato if that's more available.

• •

  Use lamb leg steaks instead of chops for a slightly different cut and texture.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through; microwaving can make the lamb chewy.

Frequently Asked Questions