Roast Illabo Lamb With Tomato Olives And Aïoli Recipes

GREEN OLIVE, LEMON, AND GARLIC-ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH POTATOES AND PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• With a vegetable peeler remove zest from lemon and reserve lemon. Pit olives. In a food processor finely chop zest, olives, garlic, and parsley with 2 tablespoons oil.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. In a large flameproof roasting pan toss potatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Arrange lamb on potatoes and with the tip of a sharp small knife cut small slits all over lamb. Rub olive mixture over lamb, pushing it into slits. Halve reserved lemon and squeeze juice over lamb. Season lamb with salt and pepper and roast with potatoes in middle of oven 20 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 350°F.
• Roast lamb and potatoes, loosening potatoes from pan with a metal spatula and turning them occasionally, 1 hour more, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 135°F. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let stand while making gravy. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and keep warm.
• Make gravy:
• In a cup with your fingers blend together flour and butter. Add wine and water to roasting pan and deglaze pan over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in flour mixture, whisking until incorporated, and simmer gravy, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. With a slotted spoon remove any potato pieces from gravy.
• Garnish lamb with lemon halves and olive branches and serve with gravy and potatoes.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH OLIVE AND ROSEMARY PASTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using on/off turns, blend olives, garlic and rosemary in processor until chopped. Gradually add oil, blending until coarse paste forms. Season paste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Place lamb, boned side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Spread olive paste over top of lamb.
• Roast lamb 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Continue roasting until thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 135°F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes.

LAMB WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Trim fat from lamb and cut into bite-size pieces.
• Heat nonstick skillet until it is quite hot; reduce heat to medium and add lamb, sauteing in its own fat until it is brown on both sides.
• Mince garlic and add to lamb as it browns.
• Use half the tomatoes, breaking them up as you add them to pan, and all of the juice. Reduce heat. Add rosemary and continue cooking.
• Pit olives, add to sauce with pepper. Cook a few minutes or until rest of meal is done. Spoon over polenta.

LAMB WITH BLACK OLIVES (AGNELLO CON OLIVE NERE)

Steps:

• Pat the pieces of lamb dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• In a heavy saucepan or casserole, gently sauté the garlic and rosemary in the oil over medium-low heat until the garlic is soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the seasoned lamb, raise the heat to medium, and turn the lamb pieces, stirring constantly, until they have browned thoroughly on all sides. Add the wine, let come to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half.
• Stir in the olives and the dissolved tomato paste, mixing everything together, then cover the pan and continue cooking on very low heat for about 1 hour, or until the sauce is very thick and the lamb is cooked through. Check the sauce periodically and add more wine or water if it seems necessary.
• When the lamb is done, serve it immediately, accompanied by polenta, if you wish.

ROAST ILLABO LAMB WITH TOMATO, OLIVES AND AïOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• To make the Tomato Jam, place the tomatoes on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Put the tomatoes through a food mill. In a food processor or bar mix (blender) purée the onion, garlic and ginger with 100 ml (1/2 cup) of the olive oil. Add the ground fennel, coriander and cumin to the onion mix.
• Place a heavy-based pot on the stove and pour in the remaining olive oil. Add the paste, and cook for 30 minutes over low heat or until the paste caramelises. Put in the palm sugar and allow to caramelise. Add the fish sauce and reduce slightly. Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute, then the tomato juice. Stir, and cook slowly for 2 hours. You should be left with a thick, spicy and sweet jam with no liquid. To store, place in a sterilised jar, cover with a film of oil and refrigerate.
• To make the Aïoli, first combine the olive oils. Crush the garlic and salt together in a mortar and pestle. Whisk in the egg yolks, add the lemon juice and continue whisking while adding the olive oils in a thin stream until the emulsion thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• To make the Braised Vegetables, peel the eggplant and cut the skins into 0.5 cm (1/4-inch) cubes (reserve the flesh for another use). Pour the olive oil into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the eggplant skins and fry until golden brown. Remove, and add the basil and parsley. Fry until dark green and crisp. Remove and strain the oil, reserving it for another use. Pour the extra-virgin olive oil into the pan and heat. Put in the onion, garlic and sea salt, and cook until soft. Add the capsicums (bell peppers) and anchovies, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, herbs and capers, and return the eggplant to the pan. Add the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Cook for 1 minute, then remove and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
• Trim any excess fat off the lamb legs, leaving the shank on. Rub all over with sea salt and olive oil, and place in a roasting pan in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn the lamb and add the potatoes. Cook for a further 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the potatoes and cover the lamb loosely with foil. Leave the oven door open, and rest the lamb for 15 minutes.
• In a pot combine the braised vegetables with the tomato jam in a 3:1 ratio. Add the olives and potatoes. Heat through, but don't boil.
• Remove the lamb from the oven. Divide the vegetables and potatoes between 6 large white plates. Carve the lamb and place on top of the vegetables. Spoon over the aïoli, and grind over some pepper. Serve immediately.