Olive And Spice Rubbed Leg Of Lamb Food

SPICE-RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH HARISSA YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• For the lamb: Use paper towels to pat dry the leg of lamb. In a small bowl, combine the salt, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, black pepper and cayenne. Season all sides of the lamb with the spice mixture and place on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Let sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes or place in the refrigerator overnight and allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Drizzle the lamb with the olive oil, then roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until the internal temperature is 140 degrees F for medium, about 1 hour and 15 minutes more. Allow to rest before serving, 15 to 20 minutes, then slice.
• For the sauce: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the harissa, yogurt and honey. Season with salt. Refrigerate until serving.
• For the optional garnish: Garnish with the pomegranate seeds, mint, scallions, good olive oil and sea salt if desired. Serve with the harissa yogurt sauce.

SPICY LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• The objective: A nice, pink, juicy leg of lamb has a final temperature of about 120 degrees F. Use a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with a fitted rack. Elevating the lamb slightly off the bottom of the roasting pan allows the hot air to better circulate around the meat as it cooks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toast the spices: In a medium bowl, combine the cayenne, fennel seeds, dry mustard, paprika, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Mix the spices and pour them out onto a baking sheet. Place the tray inside the oven for 1 minute to warm the spices and allow them to toast slightly. This will awaken their flavors. Remove the tray from the oven.
• Make the paste to coat the leg of lamb: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, molasses and salt. Add the toasted spices and mix together to create a paste. Coat all sides of the leg in the seasoning paste. If you have time, allow the lamb to sit out for about an hour and come closer to room temperature. Alternatively, you can marinate the lamb like this for several hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator before cooking.
• Cook the lamb: Place the lamb leg in the center of the fitted rack on the roasting pan and place it in the center of the oven. Cook, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Use an instant-read meat thermometer and take the temperature of the thickest part of the leg meat. Your meat thermometer should read about 85 degrees F. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Ideally, the thickest part of the leg should come to about 118 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the roasting pan to a flat surface to rest.
• Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. Place the fresh chiles on a flat surface and, with a small knife, cut them both into thin rounds, ribs, seeds and all.
• Pour off some of the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan. Put the pan on top of a burner on your stove. Start a low heat under the pan and when the drippings begin to sizzle, add in the mustard, vinegar and fresh chiles. Taste for seasoning. Pour over the leg of lamb.
• Carve the meat: Begin carving at the loin end of the leg; you want to carve at a right-angle relative to the grain of the meat. Observe that this meat has lines almost like a piece of wood, aim the blade of your knife at a right-angle to the grain and slice thin pieces. Arrange the slices on a platter with the sauce.

SPICE-RUBBED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine first 13 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. Add oil and lemon juice and process until well blended.
• Place lamb in large resealable plastic bag. Pour spice mixture over lamb; seal bag. Turn bag several times and rub spice mixture into lamb. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Remove lamb from marinade; shake off excess. Grill lamb to desired doneness or until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 125°F to 130°F, for medium-rare about 15 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to cutting board. Cover with foil and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cut lamb into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange on platter and serve.

SPICED RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH APRICOT CHUTNEY AND CHICKPEA, TOMATO, SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a medium pan on the grill over high heat. Add onions and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the spices, ginger and chile and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted.
• Place the chickpeas in a large bowl. Add the onion/spinach mixture and mix until combined. Add the tomatoes, olive oil, parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Yield: 8 servings
• Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Rub lamb completely with spice rub. On a hot grill sear lamb on all sides for 4 to 5 minutes. Put lamb on rotisserie and with the cover down roast lamb for 1 1/4 to 11/2 hours for medium rare. Remove from rotisserie and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Preheat grill or side burner. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and lightly golden, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes. Add apricots, sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

MOROCCAN SPICE RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH APRICOT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Spice Rub: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl;
• Lamb: Preheat grill to high and attach rotisserie. Brush the lamb with oil, season with salt and rub completely with spice rub. Sear the lamb on both sides until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Attach the lamb to the rotisserie and cook with the cover closed for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours for medium rare doneness.
• Apricot Chutney: Preheat grill or side burner. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and lightly golden, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes. Add apricots, sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

SPICE-RUBBED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine first 13 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. Add oil and lemon juice and process until well blended.
• Place lamb in large resealable plastic bag. Pour spice mixture over lamb; seal bag. Turn bag several times and rub spice mixture into lamb. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Remove lamb from marinade; shake off excess. Grill lamb to desired doneness or until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 125°F to 130°F, for medium-rare about 15 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to cutting board. Cover with foil and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cut lamb into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange on platter and serve.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH OLIVE AND ROSEMARY PASTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using on/off turns, blend olives, garlic and rosemary in processor until chopped. Gradually add oil, blending until coarse paste forms. Season paste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Place lamb, boned side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Spread olive paste over top of lamb.
• Roast lamb 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Continue roasting until thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 135°F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes.