Spring Lamb With Oregano Food

SLOW-COOKED LAMB WITH LEMON AND OREGANO

Steps:

• Combine lemon juice, oil, oregano, and water in a large nonreactive baking dish. Rub lamb all over with salt and pepper, and place in marinade, turning to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 24 hours, turning once or twice.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer lamb and marinade to a roasting pan. Cover lamb with parchment, and cover pan tightly with heavy foil. Roast 1 hour, then flip lamb. Cover again, and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Roast lamb 2 hours.
• Flip lamb gently, since it will be very tender. Add potatoes to pan, and sprinkle with a little salt. Cover, and roast 1 hour. Raise heat to 400 degrees. Uncover, and roast until potatoes are golden around edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

SPRING LAMB WITH MINTED GRAVY

Steps:

• Starting 2-3 days BEFORE cooking, purchase spring lamb.
• At Easter time, it's a good idea to order it from a butcher in advance.
• Have the butcher take the bone out AND remove the gland, but tell him NOT to tie it.
• Ask for the string so you can tie it at home after marinating.
• At home, rub the lamb well, inside and out with the combined marinating ingredients.
• Roll up lengthwise and use the butcher's string to tie it up by tying lengths of string every 2-3 inches.
• Marinate the lamb for two days before cooking.
• On the day of cooking, plan on 2 hours of roasting time.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place lamb in roasting pan and roast (uncovered) for 20 minutes and then reduce heat to 250°F and continue baking for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meat thermometer should reach 140°F.
• Remove lamb from oven and let rest, covered in foil, while making gravy.
• Make one quart of brown gravy using a good quality beef base and diluting it with 3 1/2 cups hot water.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and thicken with roux.
• Add the sherry and butter, whisking to blend well.
• Season with salt and pepper and stir in the mint jelly, stirring until melted.
• Serve with lamb.
• For roux: Melt 4 tbsp butter in saucepan over medium heat, and add 4 tbsp flour.
• Stir constantly with wooden spoon about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• (See "roux" search if you need further details).

SPRING LAMB IN HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Toast coriander and fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
• Coarsely chop cilantro leaves and tender stems (you'll get about 2 cups) and transfer to a large bowl. Coarsely chop dill leaves and tender stems (you'll get about 2 cups) and add to bowl with cilantro. Pick leaves from tarragon bunches (do not chop; you'll get about 1 cup) and add to bowl; discard stems. Add scallions and toss to combine. Transfer 2 cups herb mixture to a small bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and chill until ready to use. Transfer remaining herb mixture to a food processor. Add coriander and fennel seeds, preserved lemons, garlic, 1/4 cup oil, and 2 tsp. kosher salt. Purée until a paste forms.
• Roll out a piece of foil that's more than double the length of a rimmed baking sheet. Center foil on baking sheet, then place lamb on foil. Rub lamb all over with herb paste. Bring up foil around lamb and wrap tightly to seal. Roast until lamb is super tender and is falling off the bone, 4-4 1/2 hours. (It's important that you don't open the foil packet once sealed. To check the meat, slide a skewer or small knife through the top of the foil; the meat should yield and shred easily.)
• Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large pot. Pour in water to cover; season with salt. Cover pot and bring water to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a medium bowl.
• Unwrap lamb (juices will run everywhere, so be careful to make sure they stay on the baking sheet) and let cool 20 minutes. Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Pull meat off bone and shred into pieces. Return meat to baking sheet and toss in herby juices.
• Transfer lamb to a platter. Pour juices over lamb and potatoes. Top lamb with reserved herb mixture. Drizzle lamb and potatoes with oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with sea salt.

OREGANO-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash the lamb and pat dry. Sprinkle the shanks all over with the cumin, salt and pepper. Roll the shanks in flour to coat well and pat off any excess.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Cook the shanks, in batches if necessary, until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Remove and reserve. In the same oil, saute the onions and carrots until they begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 4 minutes longer. Remove with a slotted spoon, and then carefully pour off all the fat.
• Place the shanks back in the pan. Cover with the browned vegetables and the oregano stems and pour in the wine. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce the liquid by half. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken stock and bay leaves, cover and bring to a boil.
• Transfer to the oven and bake 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. A fork plunged into the thickest part should slide out easily. Remove from the oven, lift out the meat and keep warm. Lift out the vegetables and discard.
• Skim and discard the fat from the stock in the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the tomatoes and oregano leaves and remove from the heat. To serve, in each soup bowl place a lamb shank. Top with the hot broth and sprinkle with the cheese.

LEG OF LAMB WITH OREGANO AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Rinse and trim the lamb of excess fat and put it in a large baking pan. Rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice, season well with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the oregano, crushing it between your fingers to cover the meat. Dot the butter over the top. Pour 1 cup of water around the lamb and drizzle the olive oil around it as well.
• Bake for about 15 to 30 minutes on each side, until it is browned all over.
• Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-size pieces. Scatter them in the baking pan around the browned lamb, add some salt, and turn them with a wooden spoon to coat them in the juices. Add a little more water if it has evaporated.
• Cover the baking dish with foil, decrease the heat to 350 F, and bake for 2 1/2 hours or so, turning the lamb over at least once during this time and tossing the potatoes. If the lamb isn't browned enough, remove the foil for the final 30 minutes of cooking.
• Serve warm on a platter with salad, or simply cooked greens. Serve tzatziki on the side.

ROAST SPRING LAMB WITH ROSé WINE & ORANGES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Using a small knife, trim away any excess fat from the lamb and place the fat in the roasting tin. Then criss-cross the top and sides of the lamb with the knife, making shallow incisions. Mix half the olive oil with the rosemary, salt and pepper and set aside.
• Place the roasting tin over a medium heat and warm the lamb fat with the remaining olive oil for a few seconds. Add the lamb and rub the rosemary oil over the top and into the slashes. Keep turning the lamb over in the hot oil until it begins to colour all over.
• Tip the vegetables and sprigs of herbs into the tin, sprinkle the lamb with a little extra salt and roast in the oven for 50 minutes or until the outside fat starts to brown. Remove the tin from the oven and turn the temperature down to fan 140C/ conventional 160C/gas 4.
• Scrape the vegetables away from the bottom of the tin and turn the lamb over. Baste with a little of the fat, then continue to roast for 45-50 minutes. Test by inserting a metal skewer into the thickest part of the leg: for medium-rare meat, the tip should feel warm to the touch and the juices that run out of the meat should be fairly pink.
• Remove the lamb to a warmed serving dish and cover with a loose tent of foil. This will prevent heat escaping and will allow the lamb to relax while the gravy is made.
• Blanch the orange zest in boiling water for 1 minute until soft, then drain and set aside. Remove the vegetables from the roasting tin (reserve any that aren't too dark for tucking round the roast), then put the tin on a medium heat and skim away all but 1 tbsp of the fat. Sprinkle the flour in and stir constantly. Add the wine, orange juice and zest and stock and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes until the gravy thickens, colours and is reduced by about half. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Finally, stir in the redcurrant jelly and simmer until melted, then strain. Serve the lamb surrounded by any reserved vegetables, with the hot gravy.

GREEK ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9. Pound the garlic, half the oregano, lemon zest and a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar, then add the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Stab the lamb all over with a sharp knife, then push as much of the herb paste as you can into the holes.
• Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin, then toss in the remaining olive oil and any remaining herb paste. Nestle the lamb amongst the potatoes, roast for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Roast for 1 hr 15 mins for medium-rare, adding another 15 mins if you prefer your lamb medium. Baste the lamb once or twice with the juices and toss the potatoes. When the lamb is done to your liking, remove from the tin and let it rest. Throw the rest of the oregano in with the potatoes, scoop from the tin and keep warm.
• Place the roasting tin over a medium flame, add the canned tomatoes and olives to the pan juices, then simmer for a few mins. Serve the lamb with the potatoes and sauce and a simple salad.

SLOW ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH OREGANO AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to hot.
• Using sharp knife, pierce 12 cuts into lamb; press garlic and oregano into cuts.
• Place lamb in large flameproof baking dish; pour wine, stock and juice over lamb.
• Cover tightly; roast lamb in hot oven 30 minutes then reduce temperature to moderate; roast lamb, covered tightly, brushing occasionally with pan juices, for a further 3 hours or until lamb is extremely tender.
• When lamb has about 1 hour left to roast, place potato, lemon and olives in separate baking dish; drizzle with oil, and place in oven; roast, uncovered, until browned and tender.
• Transfer lamb to serving dish; cover to keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved lamb juices in same flameproof baking dish; stir in flour.
• Cook, stirring, until mixture is well browned.
• Gradually stir in remaining lamb juices and the water; stir until gravy boils and thickens.
• Slice lamb; serve with potato mixture and gravy.

ARUGULA-STUFFED LEG OF LAMB WITH ROASTED SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For arugula filling:
• In a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook garlic in olive oil, stirring, until it begins to turn pale golden, then add arugula in batches, stirring and turning over with tongs until slightly wilted before adding each new batch, and continue sautéing until completely wilted, about 1 minute more. Season with salt, and transfer arugula filling to a large sieve set over a bowl to drain. Let cool.
• For lamb:
• With a food processor running, add garlic cloves, one at a time, through feed tube, and finely chop. Add oregano, lemon zest, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to processor, and pulse until paste is well blended.
• Pat the lamb dry. Arrange it, boned side up, on a work surface. Patch any holes with slices of meat from the edge, and season it with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub boned side with half of oregano paste, then top it evenly with all of the arugula mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
• Beginning with a short side, roll up lamb, enclosing arugula (the rolled roast will appear messy and ungainly, but once it's roasted, it will look delicious). Snugly tie roast closed, crosswise at 1-inch intervals and around the length, with kitchen string.
• Transfer lamb to a roasting pan and rub it all over with the remaining oregano paste. Let it stand for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Put oven rack in middle of oven and heat oven to 450°F.
• Roast lamb for 30 minutes.
• Prepare vegetables while lamb is roasting:
• Cut each onion lengthwise into eighths, and halve potatoes or quarter if large. Toss onions, potatoes, and carrots with 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Scatter vegetables (not including asparagus) around lamb in the pan, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F, and roast lamb until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of thickest part of roast registers 130°F for medium-rare meat (test temperature in several places), 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer lamb to a platter and tent loosely with foil, then let it stand for 30 minutes.
• While lamb is standing, increase oven to 450°F, then stir vegetables in pan, and continue to roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Toss asparagus with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt, and scatter among roasted vegetables, then continue to roast until asparagus is just tender, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to a serving dish, and keep warm, loosely covered. Reserve roasting pan.
• For sauce:
• Skim any fat from the pan drippings in roasting pan, and set roasting pan over 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add wine and deglaze the pan by boiling the liquid, scraping up the brown bits, for 1 minute. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, then boil until reduced by half (to about 1/3 cup). Add chicken stock and any juices that have accumulated on the platter, and boil the sauce until reduced to about 2 cups. Reduce heat to a simmer.
• Stir the cornstarch mixture, then add it to simmering sauce; continue to simmer sauce, stirring, for 1 minute. Season sauce with salt and pepper and keep it warm.
• Discard the strings from the lamb, then carve lamb into thin slices on a cutting board and serve it with sauce and vegetables.