Artist's Palate: Louise Bourgeois' leg of lamb with vegtables

(Image credit: press)

last updated 18 October 2022

Understanding Louise Bourgeois message is often a challenge, even when the work itself is monumental and unforgettable. Surely this cannot be so of her dish of garlic-infused lamb?

Ingredients (serves 10 – 12)
A 5.5kg leg of lamb
1.5 heads of garlic divided into 25 to 30 cloves
5 tbsp thyme
6 bay leaves
turnips, peeled
carrots, peeled
parsnips, peeled
white radishes, cleaned with ends cut
red radishes
sweet potatoes or potatoes
apples

Method
Preheat oven to 260C. Insert each clove of garlic at least 2 inches deep into lamb with the point of a paring knife. Take care that garlic is evenly distributed. Cover lamb with thyme and then add bay leaves. Place in roasting pan and brown in oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 190C and place vegetables around lamb. Roast for 1 hour 45 minutes, or 12 minutes to 500g for pink French lamb. Let rest before carving.

Note: This is a recipe for garlic lovers. Louise uses the whole leg of lamb. If lamb weighs more than 5.5kg increase garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and roasting time proportionately. Different combinations of vegetables are used depending on the season. Louise adds a green salad and red wine to complete the buffet style dinner.

Melina Keays is the entertaining director of Wallpaper*. She has been part of the brand since the magazine’s launch in 1996, and is responsible for entertaining content across the print and digital platforms, and for Wallpaper’s creative agency Bespoke. A native Londoner, Melina takes inspiration from the whole spectrum of art and design – including film, literature, and fashion. Her work for the brand involves curating content, writing, and creative direction – conceiving luxury interior landscapes with a focus on food, drinks, and entertaining in all its forms