Roast Leg Of Lamb With Mint Garlic And Lima Bean Purée Food

PAPRIKA ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Marinate the lamb: Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Place the lamb on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan; poke about 10 slits into each side with the tip of a paring knife. Rub the marinade all over the lamb, massaging it into the meat and slits. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature about 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set a rack in a roasting pan. Wipe any excess marinade off the lamb and season all over with salt and pepper; transfer to the rack. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130 degrees F to 135 degrees F, about 1 hour 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and let rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, make the mint sauce: Combine the mint, parsley, garlic, mustard, capers, lemon juice, sugar, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender and puree until smooth. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Carve the lamb and serve with the sauce.

RACK OF LAMB WITH MINTED PEA PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
• Place the lamb on a rack in a baking dish.
• Place the mint, garlic, vinegar and sugar in a food processor and work until a paste forms.
• Add the olive oil slowly to the mixture adding a little more if the mixture seems too thick-if the mixture seems too runny, add a few more mint leaves.
• Season to taste.
• Coat the lamb with the mint paste and marinate for 15 minutes.
• Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until done to your liking.
• Minted Pea Puree: Place the potato in a saucepan and boil until tender.
• Add the peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Drain and place in food processor along with butter and mint leaves.
• Pulse for a short time so mixture is smooth, but with a little texture.
• Serve with the lamb.

MINT-RUBBED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from meat. Cut 1/2-inch-wide slits into lamb in 16 different places. Cut garlic cloves in half lengthwise and insert each half-clove deep into each slit.
• Combine dried mint, pepper, and salt; rub mixture over entire surface of lamb leg. Drizzle honey over lamb and rub to coat. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. and refrigerate about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove plastic wrap. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of meat without touching bone. Roast, uncovered, in preheated oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 140 degrees for medium-rare doneness or 155 degrees for medium doneness. Remove from oven.
• Cover meat loosely with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Serve in its own juices. Suggestions to serve along with the lamb are cooked herbed new potatoes, steamed baby carrots, and steamed asparagus. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

LEG OF LAMB WITH GARLIC, MINT, DIJON

Steps:

• In a mini food processor, pulverize all of the ingredients, except the lamb, into a smooth, somewhat runny paste.
• If your lamb leg isn't boned, remove all but the shank bone (lowest). There are some decent boning instructions and diagrams on the internet if you, like me, are new to this procedure.
• Lay open the upper, meaty, sirloin portion of the lamb leg and rub the spice paste mixture into any and all crevices and flaps.
• Using kitchen twine, shape the uppper portion into a compact roast--in my case I tied it about 5 times across the leg and 3 times lengthwise. I anchored the lengthwise threads by pushing them through a hole in the muscle attached to the shank (this is a testimony as to how much I hacked it up trying to get the bones out!).
• Once it is all tied, roast-like, smear the spice paste all over the outside of the meat.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove lamb from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Position two racks in the upper third of the oven. When oven has come to temperature, oil the top rack, slide a rimmed baking sheet onto the bottom rack and drop the lamb onto the oiled rack. I guess you could use a roasting pan with a rack in it, but I don't have one.
• Check after about 20 minutes, if outside is browning too quickly, lay a piece of aluminum foil over it or flip it over or both.
• Roast until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
• Let rest 15 minutes before carving.
• My 4 to 5 pound lamb leg took about an hour and a half to reach the proper internal temperature.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT AïOLI

Steps:

• Marinate lamb:
• Stir together garlic, onion, mint, savory, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and cumin in a baking dish just large enough to hold lamb. Put lamb in dish and turn to coat, rubbing marinade into entire surface. Marinate lamb, covered and chilled, turning once or twice, at least 12 hours.
• Make aïoli:
• Mash garlic to a paste with kosher salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large heavy knife), then add 1 cup mint and pound to a paste (or mince and mash with knife). Transfer to a bowl and whisk in yolks, then add half of oil, 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time, whisking constantly. Whisk in lemon juice, then slowly add remaining oil, whisking. Season with salt and pepper and stir in warm water.
• Working with several leaves at a time, stack remaining cup mint leaves, then roll up and thinly slice crosswise to make a chiffonade (thin strips). Stir mint into aïoli and chill until ready to use.
• Roast lamb:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Wipe all of marinade from lamb and discard. Pat lamb dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Arrange lamb, boned side up, on a work surface and, beginning with a long side, roll up as tightly as possible and tie tightly with string.
• Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack set in roasting pan and roast in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into lamb reads an average of 140°F for medium-rare (test in several places, as different muscles cook at different speeds; temperatures should range from 120 to 160°F), 40 to 60 minutes. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
• Serve lamb with aïoli.