| |
|
What You Need:
(To Serve: 6 to 8)
|
|
|
|
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely cut fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons finely chopped lean bacon
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
A 6 to 7 pound leg of lamb, boned, with outer fell and all fat removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
|
|
Translate this recipe:
|
|
|
|
|
|
| How To Cook: |
|
|
1. In a large bowl, combine the parsley, mint, butter, bacon, garlic, vinegar, paprika, salt and black pepper, and mix them together thoroughly.
|
2. With a large, sharp knife, open the leg of lamb flat by cutting lengthwise through the thinnest side of the cavity left when the bones were removed.
|
3. Cut away any clumps of exposed fat from inside the leg and, with the point of the knife, cut ¼ to ½ inch down into the thicker areas so that the lamb lies even flatter.
|
4. Spread the leg out flat, fat side down, and pat the parsley and mint mixture evenly over the meat. Then, starting at one long side, roll the lamb into a tight cylinder, tucking in the ragged edges of meat.
|
5. With white kitchen cord, tie the roll securely at two-inch intervals, wrap it loosely in foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
|
6. Preheat the oven to 450°. With a pastry brush, coat the surface of the lamb with the olive oil. Place the meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably.
|
7. For the most predictable results, insert a meat thermometer into the center of the meat. Roast uncovered in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350° and continue roasting uncovered 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the lamb is done to your taste. Basting is unnecessary.
|
8. The meat thermometer will register 130° to 140° when the lamb is rare, 150° to 160° when medium and 160° to 170° when it is well done.
|
9. Carve the lamb crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices and arrange them slightly overlapping along the center of a heated platter. Serve at once.
|
10. In Portugal, this roast is prepared with a leg of kid (cabrito) rather than lamb-and you may substitute kid if it is available in your locality.
|
|
|
|
|
