Somehow, I have managed to not pull every hair out of my head this past week! Who knew moving a blog from one server to another could be so harrowing? Car accidents are harrowing, not blog migrations. Well, I have come out the other side, and I am a stronger woman for it! (OK, not really, but I like how dramatic that sentence reads.)
Last week I hopped on a plane headed to New York for a little relaxation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals annual conference. New York is the perfect place to hold a culinary conference, with the bounty of food there, from the street vendors making gyros to ultra high-end restaurants. While there, my blog was moved, got infected by a virus, died and was finally resurrected! (I must have Easter on my mind because that sure sounds familiar. . .)
I wanted to do a fabulous recipe for Easter, but that ball dropped as I was juggling all the other ones. This recipe was originally posted 2 years ago, but a good Leg of Lamb recipe is evergreen!
If you are a brisket fan, I wrote a guest post for The Shiksa in the Kitchen blog for #passoverpotluck. A diverse group of bloggers, both Jewish and not, contributed recipes for Passover. I did a Slow Cooker Brisket with Chipotle-Cranberry Sauce, that is not only good for Passover, but Easter or anytime. Head over to Tori’s blog for a lot of great recipes, including my favorite pancake recipe!
Lemon-Oregano Lamb Marinade Ingredients
Although lamb is one of my favorite types of meat, I do not eat it that often. Whether it is a slow braised lamb shank, a succulent lamb chop or teeny lamb ribs, I like to eat it in all forms. But a nice roasted leg of lamb is always a special treat. Bone in or out, a leg of lamb is a roast often served at Easter dinner. Spring lamb signifies rebirth and renewal, not to mention Spring is when all those cute little lambs are born. I think lambs are so adorable, and you would think I would have a lot more guilt eating the darling creatures, but no. I am a true omnivore.
While browsing the aisles of my local Costco, something I do more often than my bank account likes, I found a boneless leg of lamb, all ready for the oven! It was trimmed and wrapped and calling my name. So into the cart it went, alongside the 500 rolls of toilet paper, 10 pounds of Sumatra coffee beans, multiple bottles of red wine and jumbo pack of Huggies pull-ups.
I was given a fabulous bottle of Lemon olive oil for Christmas, and decided to go really simple and just drizzle the lamb with the oil. Then I thought I should use up some of the abundance of Meyer lemons from my tree, so I zested a couple. Next thing you know my simple lamb idea was out the window, and garlic, oregano and red pepper were in. Oh well…
Lemon-Oregano Leg of Lamb
1/3 cup Lemon olive oil, or plain extra virgin olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 TB fine Meyer lemon zest (I used a microplane zester)
2 tsp dried oregano, preferable Mexican
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
4 lb boneless leg of lamb, tied
2 lbs new potatoes (optional)
2 cups baby carrots (optional)
In a small bowl combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, salt and red pepper.
Chopped Garlic, Oregano, Crushed Red Pepper and Meyer Lemon Zest
Lemon-Oregano Marinade and Leg of Lamb
Rub the lamb with the marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Leg of Lamb Rubbed with Lemon-Oregano Marinade
When you are ready to cook your lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for an hour. Place the lamb into a large roasting pan. I added whole potatoes that I tossed in a little olive oil, salt and pepper to the pan also. This is optional, but does take care of one side dish with not a lot of extra effort. I like “not a lot of extra effort.”
Leg of Lamb and Potatoes in Roasting Pan
Roast the lamb in a preheated 350 degree oven for one hour. If adding the optional vegetable, add your carrots now. You do not need to toss them with oil, just toss them into the pan.
Tossing a Few Carrots into the Pot
Continue to roast the lamb for another 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature measures at least 145 – 150 degrees for medium rare. If you like your lamb more done, roast until temperature is 160 degrees. Remember, meat continues to cook even after it is out of the oven and resting. Let the roast sit for 20 – 30 minutes before you slice it, so the juices have time to reabsorb.
A bold red wine pairs very nicely with this roast. Then again, a bold red wine pairs nicely with air if you ask me…
Roasted Lemon-Oregano Leg of Lamb
