Roast Lamb Onions Recipes

ROAST LAMB WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY, AND ROSEMARY AND ONION SAUCE

Steps:

• Begin by making about 24 small, deep cuts in the skin of the lamb using a small, sharp knife. Then push a sliver of garlic, followed by a small sprig of rosemary, into each cut, and season the meat generously with salt and freshly milled black pepper. Next, cut the onion in half and place it in the bottom of the roasting tin, then transfer the lamb to the tin to sit on top of the onion halves. Cover the tin loosely with foil, then cook in the oven on a high shelf for 1½ hours. After this, take the foil off and let it cook for another 30 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven, cover loosely with foil again and allow to rest for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the Rosemary and Onion Sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and cook the onions over a very gentle heat for about 5 minutes - it's important not to let them colour, so keep an eye on them. While that's happening, bruise the rosemary leaves with a pestle and mortar to release their oil, then chop them very, very finely and add them to the onion. Then continue to cook as gently as possible for a further 15 minutes, again, without letting the onions colour too much. Next, using a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the onions and their buttery juices till smooth, then gradually add the milk, a little at a time, still stirring, followed by the stock, bit by bit, whilst vigorously whisking with a balloon whisk. Now taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper and let it barely simmer on the lowest possible heat for 5 minutes. Next, remove it from the heat, then liquidise or process half of it, then return it to the saucepan to join the other half. Then re-heat gently, add the crème fraîche and pour it into a warmed serving jug. This recipe makes about 1 pint (570 ml) sauce. Need brush up on your gravy skills? Watch Delia's Perfect Gravy Video on this page

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.

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH NORTH AFRICAN SPICES, LEMON, AND ONIONS

Steps:

• In a spice grinder, a clean coffee grinder, or a mortar, grind the salt, oregano, rosemary, caraway, cumin, and turmeric to a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and add the harissa and chopped garlic. Add the olive oil to make a thick paste. Make 8 or 9 deep slits all over the lamb and insert some of the spice paste, rubbing the paste all over the surface of the meat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature or, preferably, refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before roasting.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the leg of lamb fat side down in a roasting pan that will hold the onions in one layer. Roast for 20 minutes. Mix the lemon juice and wine in a small bowl. Turn the meat and pour the lemon-wine mixture over it. (If you are roasting the lamb in a clay dish, warm the mixture first, because cold liquid can cause the clay to crack.) Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and roast for 35 minutes, basting every 10 to 15 minutes with the pan juices. If the pan dries out, add a little more wine.
• Transfer the lamb to a plate and add the onions to the pan, tossing them well to coat them with the pan juices. Add the rosemary sprigs or sprinkle with dried rosemary, toss, place the lamb on the onions, and continue roasting, basting often, for another 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 135°F. Transfer the meat to a heated platter, cover with a double layer of aluminum foil, and set aside. (Leave the oven on.) If the pan juices are watery, transfer most of them to a saucepan and cook briefly to reduce.
• Meanwhile, return the pan to the oven and continue baking the onions until tender, with browned edges. Turn the oven to broil. Place the lamb on the onions again and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the surface is deep brown and crackling. Carve the lamb and serve, passing the pan juices in a bowl or sauceboat at the table.

ROAST SHOULDER OF LAMB WITH CARAMELIZED BABY ONIONS AND HONEY

Steps:

• Put the lamb skin side up in a baking dish or roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in an oven preheated to 475°F for 15 minutes. Then lower the heat to 350°F and cook for 3 hours, until the skin is crisp and brown and the meat is juicy and meltingly tender. Pour off the fat after about 2 hours.
• Blanch the baby onions or shallots in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain, and when they are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and trim the roots.
• Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, and put in the onions. Half-cover with about 1 cup water and add a little salt and pepper. Braise for about 35 minutes, covering the pan at first, then removing the lid to reduce the liquid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has disappeared and the onions are soft and brown in the sizzling oil. They will be ready when the point of a sharp knife goes in easily. Add the honey and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes, until the onions are caramelized and soft enough to, as they say in Morocco, "crush with the tongue."
• Serve very hot. Accompany the lamb with the onions, and pass around salt and pepper for the meat, which is needed to mitigate the sweetness of the onions.

HERBED ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH ROASTED ONIONS AND POTATOES

Steps:

• In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, the garlic paste, the chopped rosemary, the chopped thyme, the soy sauce, the wine, and salt and pepper to taste, add 2 tablespoons of the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the mixture until it is combined well. Brush the lamb generously on all sides with some of the mustard mixture, reserving the remaining mustard mixture, and let it marinate in a lightly oiled roasting pan, covered and chilled, for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Let the lamb come to room temperature and brush it with the reserved mustard mixture. In a bowl toss the onions with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, add the onions and the carrots to the pan, and roast them with the lamb in the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven for 15 minutes. In the bowl toss the potatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add them to the pan. Reduce the heat to 350°F. and roast the lamb and vegetables, stirring the vegetables occasionally, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 140°F. for medium-rare meat. Transfer the lamb to a large platter and let it stand for 20 minutes. Transfer the onions and the potatoes with a slotted spoon to a serving dish, leaving the carrots in the pan, and keep them warm, covered.
• Remove the string from the lamb, spoon some of the potatoes and onions around the lamb, and garnish the lamb with the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Serve the lamb, carved, with the gravy.
• Make the gravy:
• Pour off the fat from the pan, add the wine, and deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits. Boil the mixture until it is reduced by half and strain it through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on the carrots. Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. In a small bowl knead together the butter and the flour until the mixture is combined well and add the mixture to the gravy a little at a time, whisking. Add any juices that have accumulated on the platter and salt and pepper to taste and simmer the gravy, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until it is thickened.

ROASTED LAMB BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Combine chopped parsley, vinegar, fresh lemon juice, garlic, honey, red pepper flakes, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
• Whisk olive oil, salt, cumin, black pepper, dried Italian herbs, cinnamon, coriander, and paprika in a large bowl until combined.
• Coat each lamb breasts in the olive oil and spice mixture and transfer to a roasting pan, fat side up.
• Tightly cover roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork, about 2 hours.
• Remove lamb from oven and cut into four pieces.
• Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place lamb pieces on it. Brush the tops of each piece with fat drippings from the roasting pan.
• Bake lamb until meat is browned and edges are crispy, about 20 minutes.
• Increase the oven's broiler to high and brown lamb for 4 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Serve lamb topped with parsley and vinegar sauce.