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1
Score the Lamb and Rub in the Spices
30 Mins
Cold marinate, 4°C (40°F)
Pat the leg dry, score the skin in a shallow diamond pattern, and rub the spice paste all over it, pushing it into the scores and around the bone. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours. Take the leg out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking so it comes up to room temperature.
Cold meat on a hot spit seizes and cooks unevenly — the hour on the bench matters as much as the overnight marinade.
Done when: The whole leg is evenly coated, the paste sitting in the scores, and the meat is cool but not fridge-cold when it goes on the spit.
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2
Make the Toasted Cumin Salt
5 Mins
Medium heat, ~175°C (350°F)
Tip the cumin seeds into a small, dry skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan, for about 1 minute until fragrant but not darkened. Tip into a small bowl, crush lightly so the seeds are cracked rather than powdered, and mix with the flaky salt. Set aside in a small bowl for the table.
Stop while the seeds are still pale gold — cumin turns bitter within seconds once it darkens.
Done when: The seeds smell warm and nutty, and the mix is coarse and crunchy, not a fine powder.
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3
Build the Fire and Mount the Spit
30 Mins
Glowing embers, indirect heat ~180°C (350°F)
Build a charcoal fire and let it burn down to glowing embers with no open flame. Set the spit up BESIDE the embers, not directly over them, so dripping fat cannot flare and char the skin — the lamb cooks in the radiant heat. Thread the leg lengthwise onto the rotisserie spit, secure it with the prongs, and set a drip pan underneath with the sliced onions in it.
If you have no rotisserie, roast the leg on a rack over the onion bed in an oven at 160°C (325°F) instead — same rub, same basting, same cumin salt.
Done when: The coals are grey-white and glowing, the spit turns freely, and the lamb sits beside the heat, not above it.
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4
Roast Slowly, Turning and Basting
150 Mins
Indirect heat, 160–180°C (325–350°F)
Turn the spit slowly and steadily for about 2 1/2 hours, brushing the leg with the melted butter every 20–30 minutes. Add fresh coals as needed to keep the heat even, and start with the lamb further from the embers, moving it closer in the last 30 minutes so the skin turns deep amber and crisp. A whole lamb cooks at roughly 15 minutes per kilogram; this 2.5 kg leg needs the full slow roast to turn pull-apart tender.
Do not rush it with fierce heat — the outside will char while the meat by the bone stays tough. Slow turning is the whole method.
Done when: The skin is deep amber and crisp, the meat pulls away from the bone with gentle pressure, and a thermometer in the thickest part (not touching bone) reads 88°C (190°F) — well above the 63°C (145°F) food-safety minimum for whole cuts of lamb.
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5
Rest the Lamb
20 Mins
No heat — tented rest, ~20°C (68°F)
Lift the leg off the spit onto a warm board, tent it loosely with foil, and rest for 20 minutes. The juices settle back into the meat and the temperature evens out.
Cut into it straight off the spit and the juices run onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
Done when: The leg has relaxed, the skin is still crisp under the loose foil, and no juices pool when you press it lightly.
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6
Carve, Scatter and Serve
10 Mins
Serve hot, ~70°C (158°F)
Pull and carve the meat into generous pieces by hand and knife, scatter with the chopped parsley, and pile onto a large platter with the roasted onions from the drip pan. Put the bowl of toasted cumin salt on the table so everyone dips pinches of meat into it as they eat.
Serve it the way a feast serves it — one big platter in the middle of the table, eaten with hands and torn bread, not portioned onto plates in the kitchen.
Done when: The platter shows crisp-edged pieces and soft pulled meat, the parsley is bright, and the cumin salt is on the table.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Pile the torn meat on a warm platter with the roasted onions, scatter the parsley over it, and set out the toasted cumin salt — the dip is part of the dish, not an afterthought. Serve hot, with bread and salad on the table for everyone to help themselves.
Mauritania
40m
France
Vietnam