MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE LEG OF LAMB RECIPE WITH POTATOES
My mouth is already watering. I love the spices, and beautiful vegetables you cooked the lamb with!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika; more for later
- Fresh parsley for garnish, optional
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups water
- Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil, more for later
- 1 4-5 lb leg of lamb, bone in, fat trimmed
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced; more for later
- 8 medium gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 recipe Lebanese rice, optional
FOR THE LAMB RUB:
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 lemons, juice of
- 2 tbsp dried mint flakes
- 1/2 tbsp ground nutmeg
- 15 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup olive oil (I used Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil)
INSTRUCTIONS
First 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.
Then To make the rub, in a food processor, combine the rub ingredients.
Blend until smooth. Set aside (or in the fridge, if preparing in advance).
When ready, pat the lamb dry and make a few slits on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn the oven on broil. Place the leg of lamb on a wire rack; place the rack directly on the top oven 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 375 degrees F.
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 you made earlier 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.
Season the potato and onion wedges with the paprika, garlic powder and a little salt, then add them to the pan on either side of the lamb.
Now tent a large piece of foil over the roasting pan, then place the pan on the middle rack of the 375 degrees F heated-oven. Roast covered for 1 hour. Remove the foil and return the roasting pan to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the lamb temperature registers 140 degrees F for medium.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the leg of lamb rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
If you choose to, midway through roasting the lamb, cook the rice according to this recipe.
Place the lamb and potatoes in a large serving platter over a bed of Lebanese rice, if you choose to. Garnish with parsley.
Or, you may carve the lamb first, then arrange the sliced lamb with the potatoes over the rice. Happy Cooking TimeJ