Best Roast Leg Of Lamb With Fork Mashed Mint Peas Recipes

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH GINGER AND MINT

Steps:

• Pulse the garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the paprika in a food processor to make a paste. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic-ginger paste, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste begins to fry slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool.
• Make about sixteen 1-inch-deep slits all over the leg of lamb with a paring knife. Stuff the chopped mint and some of the garlic-ginger paste into the slits. Rub the remaining paste all over the outside of the lamb. Wrap the lamb in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Bring the lamb to room temperature 30 minutes before roasting. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Unwrap the lamb, season with salt and pepper and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1 cup chicken broth into the pan. Transfer to the oven and roast until the lamb starts browning, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 cups chicken broth, the vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil; remove from the heat and set aside.
• Remove the lamb from the oven; baste with the broth mixture. Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes, until the lamb is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130 degrees F, about 1 1/2 more hours. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes before slicing.
• Meanwhile, spoon off any excess fat from the pan juices; add the pan juices to the remaining broth. Heat the broth mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one-third, about 5 to 7 minutes. Top the lamb with mint and serve with the broth mixture.

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.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH FORK-MASHED MINT PEAS

Steps:

• To make the lamb: the night before, tie off lamb with kitchen twine, drawing it around every 2 inches. Season with pepper, garlic, rosemary and lemon; coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Two hours before cooking, take the leg out of the refrigerator so that the meat comes to room temperature. Season lamb with half a teaspoon of salt per pound.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the roasting pan on the stovetop and turn the flame to medium-high; add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place leg of lamb in pan and sear to golden brown on all sides. Turn off flame and remove lamb; place roasting rack in pan and put leg of lamb on rack. (If you don't have a roasting rack, use a professional shortcut and take 2 feet of aluminum foil, crush it into a bagel-size circle and put it under the leg.)
• After 1 hour, check temperature in the deepest part of the leg with an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare lamb, the rule of thumb is 15 minutes a pound). The thermometer should read 118 degrees for a bloody medium-rare, 120 degrees for rosy pink. Remember that the ends will be hotter and more cooked.
• Place lamb on platter and let rest at least 20 minutes before carving. Deglaze pan with 1 cup chicken stock. Strain, and pour half the liquid onto the platter with the lamb, saving the rest for the peas.
• To make the peas: heat a heavy 5-quart saucepan over a medium flame. Add deglazing liquid from roasting pan and then the peas. As they soften, mash the peas against side of saucepan with the tines of a fork, pressing in the meaty deglazing liquid. When mashed to desired level, season with salt and pepper; add torn mint leaves and stir. Serve immediately.