Roast Leg Of Lamb With Anchovies And Shallots Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. With a small, sharp knife, make 12 incisions 2 inches deep into the fleshy side of the leg. Insert a piece of garlic, half an anchovy and a small sprig of rosemary into each incision. Push them in with your little finger.
• Cream the butter with the remaining anchovies and smear it all over the meat. Sprinkle the meat generously with black pepper, place in a roasting pan and pour the wine around it. Tuck in any leftover sprigs of rosemary and pour the lemon juice over the meat.
• Roast in the oven for 15 minutes; lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast for 1 hour more, basting from time to time with the juices. (Cook slightly longer, depending on how well done you like your meat.) Let rest in a warm place for at least 15 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, taste the juices, adding salt as needed. (It should not need much because of the anchovies.) If the gravy is too thin, simmer it in a skillet to thicken. If you choose, garnish the slices of lamb with sprigs of watercress. Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes or creamed eggplant.

Steps:

• Marinate lamb:
• Mince garlic and anchovies and mash to a paste with a large heavy knife, then stir together with oil and rosemary in a small bowl. Pat lamb dry and transfer, fat side up, to rack in pan. Make several small 1-inch-deep slits in lamb with a paring knife, then rub marinade over entire surface of lamb, pushing some marinade into slits. Marinate lamb, loosely covered, at room temperature 1 hour.
• Roast lamb:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Sprinkle lamb all over with salt and pepper, then roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb (almost to the bone but not touching it) registers 125°F for medium-rare, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours (temperatures in thinner parts of leg may register up to 160°F). Let stand 30 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Finely chop the rosemary, then mix with the garlic, capers, anchovies, olive oil and zest and juice of 1 lemon, reserving the used lemon halves. Make 3-4 slashes across the top of the shoulder, then rub the rosemary mixture all over the lamb.
• Scatter the onion into the base of a large roasting tin, cut the remaining lemon in half, squeeze the juices into the tin, and place all the used lemon halves in the tin with the onions. Place the lamb on top and roast for 1 hr. Pour in the wine and roast for a further 3 hrs until the meat is really tender. Leave to rest for 15 mins then serve, pulled into chunks rather than carved, with any pan juices.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Put the leg of lamb in a roasting tin that it fits into snugly - you don't want a lot of room around the meat. Make about 20 small incisions all over the lamb using a sharp knife, then pack each cut with the sliced garlic, an anchovy half and butter.
• Roast for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, add the wine and rosemary and roast for another 50 mins, spooning the juices over the lamb every so often.
• Transfer the lamb to a serving platter, cover with foil and insulate with towels or return to the oven, leaving the door slightly ajar. Leave to rest for 15-20 mins.
• Finely chop the remaining anchovies and heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan. Cook the anchovies and crushed garlic over a low heat, pressing the anchovies with the back of a spoon so they dissolve. Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the cream so the mixture emulsifies. Season with pepper. Gently warm through the anchovy cream, but don't boil it.
• Skim any fat from the roasting tin and discard, leaving the juices behind. Carve the lamb and spoon over some of the roasting juices. Serve with potatoes and greens, if using, and a jug of the anchovy cream on the side.