Roasted Leg Of Lamb With Potato Fennel Gratin Food

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH ARTICHOKES, FENNEL AND RED BLISS POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Cut the lamb into 2 equal halves and butterfly each half. Remove any huge gobs of fat. Don't try to get it all. Fat tastes good and adds lots of moisture. Sprinkle each piece of the meat generously with salt, chopped rosemary, and sliced garlic. Drizzle the meat with olive oil. Massage the salt, rosemary, garlic and oil into the lamb. Be sure to try and get the cracks and crevices filled with the yummy tasting stuff. Roll each piece of lamb and tie with butcher twine. Sprinkle generously with salt. Reserve while you prepare the veggies.
• For the vegetables:
• Fill a bowl with water and squeeze the lemon into the water and add the lemon halves as well. Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichokes; stop when you get to the healthy, fresh light green looking leaves. Trim off any dark green or brown on the stem as well. Cut the in half and add to bowl of lemon water.
• Remvove the artichokes from the water and add with the fennel, potatoes, garlic and crushed red pepper to a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Add the wine, thyme and bay leaves.
• Nestle the lamb bones in the veggie mixture and place the 2 lamb roasts on the bones.
• Drizzle with olive oil and place in the preheated oven. Roast the lamb for about 20 minutes, or until brown. Baste with juices and turn the lamb over and brown on the other side for about 20 minutes. Turn the lamb back over and baste again with the juices. Rearrange the veggies if they begin to burn. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for another 60 minutes. Baste the lamb occasionally during the cooking process and add water to the pan if the liquid reduces too much.
• Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Carve the lamb as desired and serve with the veggies and pan juices.

PERFECT ROASTED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Bring the leg of lamb to room temp. Take the leg of lamb out of the refrigerator and leave in room temperature for about 1 hour. In the meantime, prepare the remaining ingredients and make the lamb rub.
• Prepare the seasoning. To make the rub or seasoning, in a food processor, combine the rub ingredients. Blend until smooth. Set aside (or in the fridge, if preparing in advance).
• Salt the meat. When ready, pat the lamb dry and make a few slits on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sear the Lamb. Turn the oven on broil. Place the leg of lamb on a wire rack and put it directly on the top rack so that it's only a few inches away from the broiler element. Broil for 5-7 minutes on each side or until the leg of lamb is nicely seared. Remove from the oven, then adjust the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Apply the seasoning or rub. When the lamb is cool enough to handle, insert the garlic slices in the slits you made earlier. Now cover the leg of lamb on all sides with the wet rub and place it in the middle of a roasting pan with an inside rack. Add two cups of water to the bottom of the roasting pan.

POTATO-FENNEL GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.
• Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.
• Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.
• Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH SPICES, ROASTED FENNEL, AND SWEET RED PEPPER MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Stir together the garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper to make a paste. Spread that over the inside of the leg of lamb. Tie the leg crosswise with several lengths of butchers twine. Coat the outside of the leg of lamb with the Turkish Spice Mix and set it on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Put the fennel in a small, deep baking dish (or souffle dish) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and enough oil to entirely cover the fennel (2 1/2 to 3 cups, maybe more depending on the size of the dish). Cover with aluminum foil. Put the lamb and the fennel in the oven and cook until the fennel is very soft and the lamb is medium (140 degrees F), about 1 hour for the fennel, and about 1 1/2 hours for the lamb. Let the lamb rest 10 minutes before slicing.
• While the lamb is roasting, make the mayonnaise: Grind the walnuts to a coarse powder in a food processor. Add all of the remaining ingredients and puree; set aside.
• Slice the lamb against the grain and serve it with the roasted fennel and sweet red pepper mayonnaise.
• Combine the spices in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Store in an air-tight container.

ROASTED LAMB WITH POTATO, ONION AND TOMATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Rub bottom of 16x10 gratin pan with split garlic clove.
• Arrange potato slices in bottom of pan.
• Season with salt, pepper, some of the thyme and chopped garlic.
• Add a layer of onions and seasoning.
• Add a layer of tomatoes and seasoning on top.
• Drizzle with wine and oil.
• Trim the thicker portions of fat from the leg of lamb.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Place lamb on a sturdy cake rake directly on top of gratin pan.
• Roast, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes for rare lamb (1 hour and 45 minutes for well-done); turning lamb every 15 minutes, basting with liquid from gratin pan.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit for 20 minutes before carving.

PROVENçAL LEG OF LAMB WITH POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large saucepan, bring the potatoes, salt and milk to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Combine the parsley and garlic and sprinkle half into a large oval gratin dish, measuring about 16 by 10 by 2 inches. Spoon the potato-and-milk mixture into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and garlic mixture.
• Carefully trim the fat from the lamb. Season with salt and pepper and place the lamb on top of the potatoes. Roast, uncovered, about one hour, or from eight to 10 minutes per pound. Do not turn the lamb.
• Combine the ingredients for the herb crust. After the lamb has been roasting for about 45 minutes, sprinkle the meat with the herb, garlic and bread-crumb mixture. Remove from the oven and let sit 20 minutes before serving.
• To serve, carve the lamb into thin slices and arrange on warmed dinner plates or on a serving platter, with the potatoes alongside.