Italian Leg Of Lamb Recipes

Steps:

• For the lamb: Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, rosemary, pepper flakes and walnuts. Toast until fragrant and beginning to brown. Add the chopped spinach and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook until wilted. Stir in the raisins.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the lamb out flat, fat-side down, on a board in front of you. If it is still very thick, gently pound it to an even, 1-inch thickness. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread evenly with the mustard; distribute the spinach mixture over the mustard. Starting from one side, roll up the lamb with the filling inside so that it maintains the shape of the leg. Tie with butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals. Season the outside with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Wipe out the saute pan and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Place the pan over high heat and allow it to get hot. Place the lamb in the pan and sear it on all sides until golden brown all over, about two minutes per side. Transfer the lamb to a rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature registers 135 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
• While the lamb is roasting, prepare the gremolata: In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring regularly, until golden brown. Add the parsley, lemon zest, pepper flakes and salt. Toss and set aside to let the flavors mingle.
• Serve the sliced lamb with a sprinkling of the breadcrumb gremolata.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil and seasonings. Pour half of the marinade into a shallow dish; add lamb. Turn to coat; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain and discard marinade from lamb. Place lamb fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2-1/4 to 3 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium, a thermometer should read 140° for medium; medium-well, 145°), basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven so the lamb will sit in the middle of the oven.
• Peel 6 of the cloves of garlic and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and butter. Process until the garlic and rosemary are finely minced. Thoroughly coat the top and sides of the lamb with the rosemary mixture. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Toss the potatoes and remaining unpeeled garlic in a bowl with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees F and roast for another 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until a meat thermometer registers 130 to 135 degrees F for medium-rare. Place the lamb on a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil and seasonings.
• Pour half of the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add lamb.
• Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
• Drain and discard marinade from lamb.
• Place lamb fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
• Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2-1/4 to 3 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium, a meat thermometer should read 160°; well-done, 170°), basting occasionally with reserved marinade.
• Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Rinse the lamb chunks under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels.
• In a casserole or roasting pan large enough to hold all pieces of lamb, heat olive oil over medium-high to high heat. When oil is almost smoking, add lamb chunks and brown quickly, turning frequently, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Coarsely chop 2 of the garlic cloves; add to lamb as it browns. When all the lamb is browned, add salt and abundant pepper. Sprinkle flour over lamb pieces, and turn them to mix in seasoning and salt. Add wine; as soon as it starts to bubble, cover pan and place in oven to roast, covered, for 30 minutes.
• While lamb is roasting, coarsely chop remaining garlic, and using a mortar and pestle, pound it with chopped rosemary into a coarse paste. Add chopped anchovies, and continue pounding to make a fairly smooth paste. A tablespoon at a time, mix in wine vinegar to make a smooth emulsion.
• When lamb has roasted for 30 minutes, remove from oven, and pour vinegar emulsion over lamb pieces. Turn them to coat well with sauce. Return to oven, uncovered, to roast an additional 30 minutes.
• When lamb is done, with no trace of red in the meat, remove from oven, set aside for 5 minutes, then put lamb on a heated serving platter. Bring pan juices to a boil and cook rapidly for about 45 seconds, or just long enough to reduce juices and thicken them slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour juices over lamb chunks; serve immediately.

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, cut small slashes all over the lamb, then push a slice of garlic into each. Put half the thyme, 3 tbsp olive oil, wine, lemon zest and a good grinding of black pepper into a large freezer bag. Addthe lamb, tie the bag tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hrs, preferably overnight.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the rest of the thyme into the bottom of a roasting tin then lift the lamb out of the marinade and sit on top of the thyme. Roast for 20 mins, then toss onions into the pan, drizzle with a little oil, then turn the oven down to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roast for 15 mins/450g for medium. Meanwhile, strain the marinade into a pan, add most of the stock and boil until reduced by two thirds (this will take about 20 mins). Set aside. Gravy can be made ahead or the day before if necessary, as long as the meat has marinated for 4 hrs.
• Once the lamb is ready, take out and rest on a board, wrapped in a tent of foil to keep warm. Set the onions aside in a bowl. Put the roasting tin onto a low heat and add the balsamic vinegar to the tin with a splash more stock and scrape all the meaty bits from the bottom. Tip into the jug with the gravy.
• For the beans, add 2 tbsp oil to the roasting tin. Add the rosemary and tomatoes, and fry for 1 min until the rosemary smells aromatic. Tip in the beans, the red onions and the final splash of stock, then warm through. Season, then stir in the parsley just before serving. Serve on a platter, topped with the lamb.