Roasted Leg Of Lamb With Lemon Confit Mustard Greens And Black Olive Mayonnaise Recipes

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• For the cleanest-looking presentation, trim 1 1/2 inches of flesh from the shank bone with a sharp paring knife. (Your butcher may be willing to do this for you.)
• The fell is a thin outer layer of fat that you may find if you buy an untrimmed leg from a butcher. It's very tough, so it's important to remove all of it. A long knife with a sharp thin blade is the best tool for the job.
• Trim the excess fat that lies beneath the fell, but leave enough to enrich the meat and gravy. It also crisps up nicely when broiled, which helps give the carved slices great texture. Use shears to trim the fat pads around the hip, or large end.
• Make incisions 1 inch long and 1/2 inch deep all over the leg; they?ll allow the aromatic rub to penetrate the meat more easily. Roughening the surface in this way also results in a crisper, more flavorful crust after broiling.
• Stir together salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, mustard, and oil in a small bowl until it forms a wet paste. Spread rub evenly over lamb, working it into the incisions. Let lamb sit at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Transfer lamb, fat side up, to a large roasting pan fitted with a rack, and add broth. Roast lamb 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees, and roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of flesh near the bone reaches 130 degrees to 135 degrees (medium-rare), about 55 minutes. Increase temperature to broil; broil until surface sizzles and becomes brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer lamb to a platter or carving board; let rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

LEMON-ROSEMARY ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Trim the excess fat from the lamb, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch layer of fat. Using a sharp knife, make small slits, about 1/2 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches apart, all over the surface of the lamb. Fill each slit with a slice of garlic.
• Grate the lemon zest into a small bowl (reserve the lemon). Add the rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Rub the mixture all over the lamb. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature about 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Set a rack in a roasting pan and set the lamb fat-side up on the rack. Cut the reserved lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the lamb; drizzle with the olive oil and rub all over to coat. Add the lemon halves to the pan. Roast until the fat on the lamb starts to sizzle, about 20 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F and continue roasting the lamb until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130˚ F for medium rare to medium, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes before carving.

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON CONFIT, MUSTARD GREENS, AND BLACK OLIVE MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Finely chop 6 slices of the confit and transfer to a bowl. Add the oregano and black olives, and mix well. Rub the lamb with the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned meat, fatty side down, and reduce the heat to medium. Sear the meat until it has browned on the bottom. Scoop up any rub mixture that falls off the meat during cooking and place evenly back on top of the meat. Once the meat has the desired color, baste with the rendered fat and transfer to the oven, uncovered. Roast for about 35 minutes, until it has an internal temperature of 125°F. Remove and transfer the meat to a plate to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any excess oil from the skillet and set aside.
• Place the skillet back on the stove over medium-high heat and add the mustard greens. Season with salt and pepper and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the greens start to wilt. Add the juices that have collected on the plate with the resting meat. Wilt the greens for another minute or so until they have absorbed the juices, and remove from the heat.
• With a sharp knife, slice the meat as thin as possible. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and evenly spread the mayonnaise on the bottom halves. Top the mayonnaise with the meat, followed by the remaining confit and the mustard greens. Drizzle any remaining juices from the meat on top of the greens. Close the sandwiches, cut into halves, and serve.