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1
Trim off the excess fat and tough outer skin from the lamb, leaving a thin layer of fat.
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2
Make about 10 incisions near the leg bone and insert the garlic slivers.
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3
Rub the meat with the measured salt and pepper, then coat with the fat and oil.
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4
Massage into the meat.
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5
Refrigerate, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for at least 3 hours or overnight.
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6
Remove from the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before roasting.
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7
Heat the oven to 500 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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8
Meanwhile, combine the vinegar and shallots in a small nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
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9
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 20 minutes.
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10
Strain, reserving the shallots and vinegar separately.
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11
Place the lamb on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast until browned all over, about 25 minutes.
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12
Remove the lamb from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F.
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13
Pour the reserved vinegar and water into the roasting pan.
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14
Return the lamb to the oven and roast, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F to 140 degrees F for medium rare, about 1 hour.
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15
Remove the lamb to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.
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16
Meanwhile, make the shallot sauce: Add the chicken stock and reserved shallots to the drippings in the roasting pan and bring to a boil across two burners over high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
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17
Season as needed with salt and pepper.
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18
Slice the lamb and serve with the shallot sauce.
