MOROCCAN LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT DRESSING

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Moroccan Leg of Lamb With Mint Dressing image

When a large crowd is coming over, it's easy for panic to set in, as the Lee brothers discussed in the 2006 article accompanying this recipe. Their solution? Cooking a big cut of meat. For their first attempt, they looked to lamb, specifically this Moroccan lamb, coated with harissa, lemon zest and juice (which they used as a substitute for preserved lemons), and cured before roasting. The end result, served with a mint dressing, and perhaps a side of couscous or even mashed potatoes, is a satisfying show-stopper.

Provided by Matt Lee And Ted Lee

Categories     dinner, roasts, main course

Time 2h

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 9-to-11-pound bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and membrane
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup fruity-tasting olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon harissa (Moroccan chili paste), more for serving
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Mint dressing

Steps:

  • Score meaty side of lamb in a diamond pattern of 1/4-inch-deep cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart. Season with salt and pepper, and place scored-side up in a large roasting pan.
  • In a small bowl, whisk olive oil with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, harissa, coriander seeds and cumin. Pour marinade over lamb and massage into crevices. Cover pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate 2 1/2 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1 1/2 hours before cooking to return lamb to room temperature; in last 15 minutes, heat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Remove foil from pan and place pan on middle oven rack; turn heat down to 350 degrees. Roast, basting lamb with pan juices every 1/2 hour, until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat reads 130 degrees, about 1 3/4 hours total. Remove from oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 15 minutes before carving. Serve with harissa and mint dressing.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 810, UnsaturatedFat 31 grams, Carbohydrate 2 grams, Fat 58 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 66 grams, SaturatedFat 23 grams, Sodium 391 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams

There are no comments yet!