Leg Of Lamb With Chorizo Stuffing Romesco Potatoes And Black Olives Recipes

GARLIC AND HERB LEG OF LAMB WITH POTATOES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• 2-3 hours before roasting, prepare the lamb. Use a small, sharp knife to make 15 to 20 incisions, each about 2 inches (5 cm) deep, through the fat cap on top of the meat. Thinly slice 3 cloves of garlic and use your fingers to press the slices into the incisions.
• In a blender, combine the remaining 9 garlic cloves, the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Blend until a paste forms.
• Spread the paste evenly all over the lamb. Let marinate at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Place the lamb on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and pour the wine into the bottom of the pan. Roast for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 325°F (160°C).
• Arrange the potatoes, cut side down, in the roasting pan and place the lamb on the rack on top. Roast for 2 hours, tossing the potatoes and basting the lamb with the roasting liquid halfway through.
• Transfer the potatoes to a platter, baste the lamb again with the remaining pan juices, and return the lamb to the oven. Continue to roast, basting often, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the leg reaches 130°F (for medium-rare), 45 minutes to 2 hours more, depending on thickness. (As a general rule, the lamb should roast 20 minutes per pound for medium-rare).
• Transfer the lamb to a platter and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. While the lamb rests, return the potatoes to the roasting pan, season with flaky salt, and warm in the oven until just heated through, about 20 minutes. Return the potatoes to the serving platter.
• Carve the lamb into ½-inch (1 cm) thick slices and arrange on the platter with the potatoes, garnished with rosemary and thyme sprigs. Serve with whole grain mustard alongside.
• Enjoy!

SLOW-ROASTED ANDALUSIAN-STYLE LAMB AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine garlic, thyme, and 2 tablespoons salt in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, rub mixture until it resembles wet sand (larger pieces of garlic will remain); set aside. Crush bay leaves.
• Combine half of potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 crushed bay leaf in a large roasting pan; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread out potatoes in a single layer.
• Place lamb on top of potatoes and rub with garlic mixture. Layer tomatoes, onions, remaining 3 crushed bay leaves, and remaining potatoes around and up sides of lamb, seasoning with salt and pepper and drizzling with remaining 6 tablespoons oil as you go (lamb will be nearly covered). Add wine to pan; cover tightly with foil.
• Roast until lamb is very tender, 3-4 hours. Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 425°F. Roast, turning lamb halfway through, until lamb is golden, 20-25 minutes longer. Let rest in roasting pan for 15-20 minutes. DO AHEAD: Lamb can be roasted 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat before continuing.
• Pull meat from bones in large chunks; discard bones and fat. Place meat and vegetables on a platter. Skim fat from surface of cooking juices in pan. Spoon some cooking juices over lamb and vegetables and serve remainder alongside.

PERFECT ROASTED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Bring the leg of lamb to room temp. Take the leg of lamb out of the refrigerator and leave in room temperature for about 1 hour. In the meantime, prepare the remaining ingredients and make the lamb rub.
• Prepare the seasoning. To make the rub or seasoning, in a food processor, combine the rub ingredients. Blend until smooth. Set aside (or in the fridge, if preparing in advance).
• Salt the meat. When ready, pat the lamb dry and make a few slits on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sear the Lamb. Turn the oven on broil. Place the leg of lamb on a wire rack and put it directly on the top rack so that it's only a few inches away from the broiler element. Broil for 5-7 minutes on each side or until the leg of lamb is nicely seared. Remove from the oven, then adjust the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Apply the seasoning or rub. When the lamb is cool enough to handle, insert the garlic slices in the slits you made earlier. Now cover the leg of lamb on all sides with the wet rub and place it in the middle of a roasting pan with an inside rack. Add two cups of water to the bottom of the roasting pan.

LEG OF LAMB WITH CHORIZO STUFFING, ROMESCO POTATOES, AND BLACK OLIVES

Steps:

• Place the lamb in a baking dish and coat it well on all sides with the smashed garlic, rosemary, chopped parsley, and cracked black pepper. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Take the lamb out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before stuffing it, to bring it to room temperature. Reserve the marinade.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Season the lamb on both sides with salt and a little freshly ground black pepper. Lay the meat on a cutting board, fat side down, and open like a book. Spoon as much of the chorizo stuffing as you can (about half, or a little more) on the right side of the lamb. Fold the left side over the stuffing, as if you're closing the "book." If some of the stuffing falls out, stuff what you can back in. Tie the lamb with butcher string at 2-inch intervals to hold it together while roasting. Carefully place the lamb on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. Drizzle the leftover marinade over the lamb. Put the remaining chorizo stuffing into a small baking dish and set aside.
• Roast the lamb about 1 1/4 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the center (of the meat, not the stuffing) reads 120°F. Remove the lamb from the oven, and let it rest 15 minutes before slicing.
• While the lamb is resting, heat the extra stuffing in the oven until it's hot, about 10 minutes.
• Toss the olives, parsley leaves, and mint leaves with a drizzle of the supergood olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Taste for seasoning. (The herb salad might not need salt, because the olives are rather salty.) Arrange the hot romesco potatoes on a large warm platter.
• Slice the lamb into 1/4-inch-thick slices, removing the butcher string as you go. Using a spatula and spoon (so you don't lose too much of the stuffing), arrange the meat over the potatoes. Scatter the herb salad over the top, and serve the extra stuffing and romesco on the side.
• Chorizo Stuffing
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Toss the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they are golden brown.
• Heat a medium pot over high heat for 1 minute. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, the rosemary sprig, and the chile; let them sizzle in the oil about 1 minute. Stir in the onions, garlic, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium and cook about 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and discard the rosemary and chile.
• While the onions are cooking, heat a medium sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Crumble the chorizo into the pan, and sauté about 8 minutes, until the sausage is crisp and cooked through. Drain the chorizo of excess oil and add it to the bowl with the onions. Stir in the breadcrumbs, mint, and parsley, and combine well. Taste for seasoning.
• Romesco Potatoes
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and toss well with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and a heaping teaspoon salt. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast the potatoes about 50 minutes, until tender when pierced (the time will really depend on size, age, and variety of potatoes). When the potatoes have cooled, reserve the garlic, discard the bay and thyme, and crumble the potatoes into chunky pieces with your hands. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and set aside.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. (To get the potatoes nicely browned and crisp, don't overcrowd them. You may have to use two pans or brown them in batches.) Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, turn the heat to medium-high, and wait 1 minute more. Add the crumbled potatoes, and season with the thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Sauté the potatoes 6 to 8 minutes until they are crispy on one side. (Don't try to move them or turn them if they are stuck to the pan; they will eventually release themselves-just be patient.) After they've browned nicely on the first side, turn them to let them color on all sides. Once they're nicely browned on all sides, spoon the romesco and reserved garlic into the hot potatoes. Toss and stir to coat them well. Taste for seasoning. Toss in the parsley. Or, if you're not ready to serve the dish yet, turn off the heat and leave the potatoes in the pan; then, just before serving, reheat for a few minutes and toss in the parsley at the last moment.
• Romesco
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the chiles, and then soak them in warm water for 15 minutes to soften. Strain the chiles, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Meanwhile, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until they smell nutty and are golden brown.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and wait a minute. Fry the slice of bread on both sides until golden brown. Remove the bread from the pan and cool. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and set aside.
• Return the pan to the stove over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the chiles and sauté for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the tomato juices have evaporated and the tomato starts to color slightly. Turn off the heat, and leave the mixture in the pan.
• In a food processor, pulse together the toasted nuts, garlic, and fried bread until the bread and nuts are coarsely ground. Add the chile-tomato mixture, and process for 1 minute more.
• With the machine running, slowly pour in the remaining 1 cup olive oil and process until you have a smooth purée. Don't worry, the romesco will "break" or separate into solids and oil; this is normal. Add the parsley, and season to taste with lemon juice, sherry vinegar, and more salt if you like.
• Note
• This is one of the most involved recipes in the book, so plan ahead and set yourself up. Both the chorizo stuffing and the romesco can be made up to 2 days ahead. You can roast the potatoes in the morning, waiting to crumble and brown them until just before serving. And if you like, stuff the lamb the morning of your supper. But remember to take it out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before roasting to bring it to room temperature. Start the romesco potatoes after the lamb has been in the oven for about 30 minutes.

GREEK EASTER ROAST LAMB AND ORZO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place lamb in a roasting pan. Add mashed tomatoes, onion, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Combine and make sure lamb is well coated. Cover pan with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 3 hours. Remove from the oven and remove aluminum foil; leave oven on.
• Add water and orzo directly to the roasting pan. Return to the hot oven and bake until pasta is cooked and very little liquid remains, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Add feta cheese and mix until melted and combined.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut slits in the top of the leg of lamb every 3 to 4 inches, deep enough to push slices of garlic down into the meat. Salt and pepper generously all over the top of lamb, place several sprigs of fresh rosemary under and on top of the lamb. Place lamb on roasting pan.
• Roast in preheated oven until the lamb is cooked to your desired doneness, about 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Do not overcook the lamb, the flavor is best if meat is still slightly pink. Let rest at least 10 minutes before carving.