Best Roast Leg Of Lamb With Salsa Verde Recipes

FENNEL-RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH CARROTS AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Lamb:
• Season lamb generously with salt and pepper; let it sit out at room temperature while you prepare the rub.
• Using spice mill or mortar and pestle, coarsely grind fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in garlic and 3 Tbsp. oil. Evenly rub lamb all over with spice mixture, making sure to work it into every nook and cranny.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large heavy skillet over medium. As soon as oil is hot and shimmering, add lamb to skillet and cook, carefully pouring off fat as needed into a small bowl (reserve it), until golden brown all over, 3-5 minutes per side. The goal here is to cook out some of the excess fat while you brown the meat, so it's important to maintain a moderate heat to keep the meat from getting dark before the fat can melt out. If the oil looks really dark or tastes burned, discard it and use olive oil in the next step.
• Trim tops from carrots and set aside for making the salsa verde. Scrub carrots, pat dry, and scatter along the outer edges of a large rimmed baking sheet. Place seared lamb in the center. Pour reserved fat and any fat still in skillet (don't forget to scrape out the crispy bits stuck to the bottom of the pan) over carrots, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
• Roast lamb and carrots until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of leg registers 135°F for medium-rare, 75-90 minutes. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and tent with foil; let rest 20 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Salsa Verde and assembly:
• While the lamb is resting, transfer carrots to a platter, then carefully pour any juices from the baking sheet into a small bowl (you should have about 1/4 cup; if you don't, top off with olive oil). Transfer carrots back to baking sheet and pop back into oven. Roast 5 minutes to reheat.
• Meanwhile, finely chop reserved carrot tops to make 1/2 cup; discard remaining tops. Place in a small bowl and mix in parsley, chives, lemon juice, pan juices, and 2 Tbsp. oil. Season with salt and pepper and more lemon juice if needed.
• Remove twine from lamb and slice about 1/2" thick (but you can really go as thick or thin as you would like). Arrange on a platter and serve with warm roasted carrots and salsa verde alongside.

GRILLED LAMB WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Stir the first 7 ingredients and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a large bowl to blend. Whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Set the salsa verde aside. Place the lamb in a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Rub the minced garlic, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes all over lamb. Pour 1/2 cup of salsa verde over the lamb, turning the lamb to coat evenly. Use immediately, or cover the dish and remaining salsa verde separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 day.
• Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill the lamb until a meat thermometer inserted into the thicker parts registers 130 degrees F for medium-rare, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a work surface and let rest 15 minutes.
• Cut the lamb across grain into thin slices. Arrange the lamb slices on a platter. Serve the remaining salsa verde alongside.

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Pat lamb dry with paper towels and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Season all over with salt and pepper.
• Set aside 1 teaspoon of the garlic. In a bowl, combine remaining garlic with thyme, oregano or marjoram, cumin, chile, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon oil, just enough to create a sandy paste. Rub mixture all over lamb. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 1 hour or, even better, overnight in the refrigerator.
• Prepare the salsa verde: In a small bowl, combine a pinch of salt, the remaining teaspoon garlic, remaining 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons preserved lemon, parsley, cilantro, mint and scallion and stir well. Drizzle in remaining oil. Season with more preserved lemon, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and mellow.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast lamb without turning for 22 to 35 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 120 degrees for rare and 130 for medium. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the salsa verde.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Stir first 10 ingredients in large bowl for salsa verde. Place lamb on work surface, smooth-side down. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper, then garlic. Rub 1/4 cup salsa verde into lamb. Roll up lamb. Using kitchen string, tie lamb every 2-inches to hold together. (Lamb and salsa verde can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Let lamb and salsa verde stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Place lamb on rack in roasting pan. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 120°F for medium-rare, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Transfer lamb to cutting board; remove kitchen string. Cut crosswise into thin slices. Arrange sliced lamb on platter. Spoon some salsa verde over. Serve lamb, passing remaining salsa alongside.

ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Use a small sharp knife to make about a dozen incisions, each about 2 inches deep, through the fat that covers the top of the meat. Using a mortar and pestle or a blender, blend 2/3 of the anchovies (or 2/3 of the mustard if using), the rosemary leaves and the garlic cloves into a chunky paste. Using your fingers, press paste deeply into incisions.
• Mix remaining anchovies (or mustard) and the butter into a paste. Smear this mixture all over the surface of the roast. Season liberally with black pepper. (Do not add salt; the anchovies are salty enough, and so is the mustard.) Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and squeeze the lemon halves over. Pour the wine around the roast into the pan.
• Roast 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast until internal temperature reaches 130 to 135 degrees (for medium-rare or medium meat), about another 60 to 90 minutes. Baste every 20 minutes or so with the wine and drippings in the pan, adding more wine as needed to keep the liquid from scorching. If possible, for the last 15 minutes of cooking, use convection or a broiler to crisp the fat on the roast.
• Remove pan from the oven, remove rack from the pan, and let the roast rest on the rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes in a warm place, tented with foil. The internal temperature will rise to about 140 to 145 degrees.
• To make sauce from the pan drippings, remove a few tablespoons of fat by tipping the pan and spooning off the top layer. Put the pan over medium heat until the liquid simmers. Taste the simmering liquid and whisk in more wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the consistency and flavor are right. Do not let the mixture become syrupy; it should be a sharp jus, not a thick gravy.
• Carve lamb into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a heated platter, decorated with rosemary sprigs. Serve with piping hot gravy.