Yogurt Marinated Leg Of Lamb With Cardamom And Orange Food

YOGURT-MARINATED ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Marinade: Use a spoon to peel the ginger. Peel garlic and onion. Roughly chop onion and ginger, followed by half of the parsley and cilantro, including stems. In a blender, add the ginger, onion, garlic, herbs, ⅓ of the yogurt, and salt. Purée until smooth. Add the remaining yogurt and purée again to combine. Set aside.
• Lamb: Place lamb on a flat surface. Use a sharp knife to poke holes in the lamb at 1½-inch intervals; this will help the lamb absorb the marinade. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Fit a brining bag into a large container (or the roasting pan you'll be using, if it fits in the refrigerator). Then place the lamb into the bag and pour in the marinade. Massage the marinade into the lamb so all of the meat is covered, then seal the bag. Refrigerate for 1-2 days (longer marination will yield more tenderized lamb).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the lamb and all of the marinade into a roasting pan. Lay parchment paper over the lamb to cover, then cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour. (Total roasting time will be 3 hours.)
• After 1 hour, remove lamb from oven. Gently remove foil and parchment. (The yogurt will have separated into curds and whey, which is normal.) Use tongs to flip the lamb over, then cover with parchment and foil again. Place back into the oven for 1 hour. After the second hour of roasting, flip the lamb again and place back into the oven, uncovered, for 1 final hour.
• After a total of 3 hours of roasting, remove lamb. Pierce the lamb with a sharp knife to check for doneness. If there isn't a lot of resistance, it's done. Flip lamb over, spoon yogurt solids on top, and let rest, 30 minutes.
• Almond Relish: Roughly chop the almonds, place in a medium bowl, and set aside. Pick the leaves off the remaining cilantro and parsley, bunch together, and finely chop. Add herbs to the almonds. Add enough olive oil to cover, about ½ cup, and mix. Juice 3 of the 4 lemon halves into the relish, mix, and add salt to taste. Use the juice of the remaining lemon half to taste.
• Assembly: Use tongs and a meat fork to transfer lamb to a serving platter. Spoon relish over the lamb, and serve.

YOGURT-MARINATED LEG OF LAMB WITH CARDAMOM AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425º. Remove as much of the surface fat as is practical from the lamb. Mix together the yogurt, mint, orange zest, cardamom, salt and pepper; rub the meat all over with the yogurt mixture. If you have time, let the lamb sit for an hour or more (refrigerate if it will be much longer).
• Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. (You might line the pan first with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier.) Roast for 30 minutes, then check; if the lamb threatens to burn, turn the heat down to 350º; otherwise leave it at 425º.
• After about 1 hour (total) of roasting, check the internal temperature of the lamb with an instant-read thermometer. Continue to check every 10 minutes; when it reaches 130 for medium rare (125 for very rare) in its thickest part (check it in several places), it's done. Total cooking time will be less than 1 1/2 hours. Let it rest for a few minutes before carving. Serve garnished with more chopped mint.

YOGURT-AND-HERB-CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with one rack in top third and one in bottom third. Set a wire rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. In a saucepan, combine oil, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; cook over medium until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process with zest and parsley until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a bowl; stir in breadcrumbs and lemon juice. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt and mustard; season with salt.
• Place lamb, skin-side down, on a work surface and pound with a mallet to an even thickness of about 1 1/4 inches. Arrange loose ends to create a rough rectangle; season with salt. Spread 1/2 cup yogurt mixture evenly over surface, then half of breadcrumb mixture. Starting at ragged short end, tightly roll lamb into a cylinder. Tie with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals; insert 2 skewers crosswise through lamb to help hold shape, if desired. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; season all over with salt.
• Increase oven heat to broil; broil lamb on top rack, flipping halfway through, until fat is golden brown, about 2 minutes a side. Reduce temperature to 450 degrees and roast 20 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce temperature to 400 degrees. Remove twine from lamb, leaving skewers in place. Spread remaining yogurt mixture thickly over top and sides of lamb. Press remaining breadcrumb mixture into yogurt. Roast on bottom rack until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of lamb registers 135 degrees for medium-rare, 40 to 60 minutes more, depending on diameter of roll. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 20 minutes before carving with a very sharp knife. Serve, with lemon wedges.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB WITH SPICY LIME YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat lamb dry with paper towels and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. In a bowl, combine oil, herbs, orange zest and juice, the minced garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Rub mixture all over lamb. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if you like.
• Heat the grill. Wipe lamb with paper towels, removing most of the rub, then grill until a digital thermometer reads 120 degrees for rare or 130 for medium (about 6 to 15 minutes per side, depending on how you like your meat and how thick the lamb is). If the meat starts to char before it's done, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the yogurt sauce.

GRILLED YOGURT-MARINATED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Mix 1 cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon Tabil Spice Blend, and 1 minced garlic clove in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Whisk remaining 1 cup yogurt, remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons Tabil Spice Blend, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp. salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add lamb; turn to coat. Cover and chill overnight, turning occasionally.
• Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Grill until meat is cooked to desired doneness, 10-15 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grill lemon halves, cut side down, until charred, about 5 minutes. Thinly slice lamb against the grain and arrange on a platter; garnish with lemons. Serve with reserved yogurt sauce.

YOGURT-MARINATED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• 1. In a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the yogurt, olive oil, mint, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the lamb, turning to coat evenly, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• 2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the lamb fat side up in a roasting pan and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 145° for medium rare, about 1 1/2 hours. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

YOGURT MARINATED LEG OF LAMB - NORTH AFRICA

Steps:

• Two days before you cook the lamb outside on the BBQ, make a 'butterfly cut' along the bone, or ask the butcher to do it!
• Place the butterfly-cut leg of lamb in a close fitting container, pour the lemon juice over the top and sprinkle with a little salt. Cover and chill for 24 hours.
• The next day, toast (dry-fry) the spices in a small pan over low heat for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring until you smell the heavy aroma. Grind as finely as possible in a food processor or spice mill, and place in a bowl.
• Add the yogurt and mix thoroughly to make the marinade.
• Remove the meat from the container and wipe any juices from the base. Spoon in half the marinade, then lay the lamb down onto this. Cover with the remaining marinade, ensuring that all the meat has marinade on it.
• Chill for a further 24 hours.
• Return to room temperature at least 2 hours before cooking.
• Light the BBQ an hour before cooking.
• Brush the marinade off the lamb, and discard it.
• Sprinkle the outside of the meat with a little seasoning (salt, pepper, new spices), and lay on the grill, seasoned side down, about 8 - 10 inches from the coals.
• Leave untouched to cook for 15 minutes.
• Season the upper surface of the lamb before turning. Cook this side for 15 minutes.
• Remove and set aside for 10 minutes, to seal in all the juices.
• Carve across the grain in thick slices.
• Serve with a warm chickpea salad or a couscous salad, and slices of cucumber, tomato and salad greens.