Armenian Stuffed Leg Of Lamb Recipes

ARMENIAN STUFFED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Marinate lamb: Remove fell (the thin outer membrane) and all but 1/8-inch layer fat from lamb. Make 12 small incisions in outside surface and insert garlic slivers. Combine oil, lemon juice, mint, oregano, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Place lamb in glass dish and spread o il mixture evenly over inside and outside surfaces. Let stand covered at room temperature 1-1/2 hours or refrigerate overnight. (If lamb is refrigerated, let warm to room temperature 1-1/2 hours before roasting.).
• Make stuffing about 1-1/2 hours before roasting lamb: Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery; saute until tender but not browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in rice, pine nuts and parsley. Reduce heat to low and cook until rice turns opaque, 2-3 minutes. Gradually stir in broth. Stir in currants and pepper to taste. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer covered until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and add allspice and cinnamon while fluffing rice with fork. Let cool at room temperature about 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 475 degrees.
• Place lamb, fat side down, on work surface. Spoon about 2 cups stuffing into pocket where bones were. Press leg together and tie at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string. Place lamb on rack in roasting pan. Spoon remaining stuffing into small casserole and set aside.
• Roast lamb on rack in upper third of oven until browned, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Carefully pour 1-1/2 cups water into pan. Continue to roast, basting every 15 minutes, until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of leg registers 145 degrees for medium-rare; it will take about 45 minutes. Fifteen minutes before lamb is done, spoon 1-2 T. pan juices over stuffing in casserole and bake in oven until heated through. Transfer lamb to carving board and let stand 15-20 minutes.
• Spoon fat from pan juices, then heat juices to boiling, scraping loose browned bits on bottom of pan. Strain into sauceboat and season with pepper.
• Slice lamb 1/2-inch thick and serve with stuffing and pan juices.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB-ARMENIAN STYLE!

Steps:

• Mix garlic, basil and mint.
• Cut deep slits into the lamb and fill them with the mixture.
• Salt and pepper the lamb.
• Sprinkle with dried rosemary and top with the sliced onions.
• Cover with aluminum foil and roast in a 350F oven, about 1/2 hour per pound of lamb.
• Remove the foil for the last 1/2 hour of cooking.

ARMENIAN LAMB AND GRILLED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For the lamb and vegetables: Thread the eggplant slices onto 2 parallel skewers, piercing through the skin to stabilize the slices flat. Thread the zucchini slices the same way on 2 more skewers. Thread the onion slices the same way, piercing through the widest part of the slices. Finally, thread the tomatoes the same way, piercing though their equators with the stem sides facing up.
• Place skewers on a sheet tray and drizzle and season all sides with olive oil, 1 teaspoon zaatar, salt and pepper.
• Drizzle both sides of each lamb chop with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and remaining tablespoon zaatar.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan for cooking over medium-high heat and heat a wide, heavy-bottomed braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Sear the lamb chops in the braiser for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted through the center of the meat (avoid bone) reads 135 degrees F. Cover with foil and let rest while you grill the vegetables.
• Grill the eggplant and zucchini skewers, flipping once, until they have grill marks and are slightly tender, 3 to 5 minutes total. Meanwhile, grill the onion skewers, flipping once, until slightly charred and tender, 7 to 8 minutes total. Grill the tomatoes, flipping once, until they just start to burst and release their juices, 5 to 6 minutes total.
• For Herb Sauce: Stir together the olive oil, vinegar, dill, mint, parsley, garlic, serrano and shallot in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove the vegetables from the skewers to a serving platter or bowl. Place the lamb chops on a second platter and drizzle with the herb sauce and any juice left behind in the pan.

STUFFED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub lamb inside and out with garlic clove. Stuff leg of lamb and tie securely; sprinkle meat with rosemary.
• Put stuffed lamb on a rack and roast for 1 3/4 hours to 2 hours or until meat is 135 to 140 degrees. Remove from oven as you finish sauce.
• Discard fat in roasting pan. Add wine and broth and reduce. Add tomatoes and olives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat add parsley.

STUFFED LEG OF LAMB, MIDDLE EASTERN STYLE

Steps:

• Marinade: In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon zaatar mix and 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced. Season the trimmed leg of lamb with salt and pepper, to taste, and put it into a resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and seal the bag. Refrigerate and let sit as long as you can, even overnight.
• Light the grill, putting the coals all on 1 side.
• Stuffing: Put the remaining garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the feta and pulse just to break it up, then slowly drizzle in just enough olive oil so the consistency is just barely creamy but not too loose (about 1/4 cup), stopping to scrape down the sides. Add the blanched spinach, 1 tablespoon of the zaatar spice mix, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and a little black pepper, and mix until blended but still a little chunky.
• Take the lamb out of the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the inside with lemon zest and fresh thyme, then add a layer of arugula leaves. Carefully spread stuffing over the inside of leg, being careful not to spread it all the way to the edge. Grab the end closest to you and slowly roll the leg up. Tie well with butchers twine. Liberally sprinkle the outside of the lamb with shawarma spice.
• Put the lamb directly over the coals on the hot side of the grill and sear it quickly, until the outside develops a nice crust, maybe 2 minutes per side. Then move the lamb away from the coals, cover the grill and let it cook for 45 minutes or so, checking after 30 minutes and turning several times. When the lamb is done, take it off the grill, put it on a cutting board and let it rest for about 10 minutes. To serve, cut in 1 1/2-inch thick slices, and arrange on a serving platter, making sure to remove any pieces of twine.

STUFFED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Remove plastic netting or twine from around the leg of lamb, if any, and open up the roast on a cutting board. Place the boned side of the roast up. With a sharp paring knife, cut away any excess fatty areas. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/2-inch deep slits in the meat about 2 inches apart, to help the meat lie flat. Cover the meat with a sturdy piece of plastic wrap or a cut-apart food storage bag, and pound the meat with a mallet or the edge of a small plate until the roast is about 3/4 inch thick everywhere, and 10 to 14 inches square.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Sprinkle the upper side of the meat with salt and pepper, and then spread spinach leaves over the top of the roast to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Break up the goat cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the spinach, then sprinkle the pine nuts over the cheese.
• Roll the roast up into a tight cylinder, and tie the roast together with kitchen twine at 2 inch intervals. It's okay if a little stuffing protrudes from the sides of the roast.
• In a flat dish, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of pepper, the thyme, and the fennel seeds, and press the tied roast firmly into the flour mixture to coat all sides.
• Heat the sesame oil in a heavy oven-proof or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers, and sear all sides of the roast, including the ends, to a golden brown color. Lay the roast into the skillet, place into the preheated oven, and roast to your desired degree of doneness, or an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (65 degrees C) for medium, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.