Roasted Boneless Leg of American Lamb with Fingerling Potatoes, Leeks and Mint
Salsa Verde
Serves: 6-8
Mint Salsa Verde
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 c. loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 c. loosely packed fresh mint leaves
3 anchovy fillets
1 tbs capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs plus 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3-3 1/2 lbs boneless leg of American lamb,
butterflied
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
3 large leeks
2 lbs fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Position rack in lower third of oven (so roast will
be in the middle) and heat to 325 F.
With food processor running, add garlic cloves.
When finely minced, stop motor, remove top and
scrape down bowl. Add parsley, mint, anchovies,
capers, salt and pepper. Pulse until ingredients are
finely chopped. Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil and
pulse to combine. Transfer about two-thirds of paste
to small bowl and cover with remaining olive oil.
Cover tightly and refrigerate until serving time, or up
to 2 days.
Lay lamb flat on cutting board with fat side up.
Trim fat to no more than 1/8 inch. Turn meat over and
trim away any large chunks
of fat from interior, but leave the rest intact. Be
careful not to trim away connective tissue that holds
meat together. Season lamb on both sides with 2
teaspoons salt.
Spread salsa verde paste over interior of meat to
edges, rubbing into crevices. Reserve remaining salsa
verde. Roll lamb up lengthwise into cylinder. Use
kitchen twine to tie cylinder at 1 1/2-inch intervals.
Tie another piece of twine lengthwise to secure ends.
Allow lamb to sit at room temperature 1-2 hours
before roasting. (If you plan to wait more than 2
hours before roasting, loosely cover and refrigerate
roast, but bring to room temperature before cooking.)
Pat outside of roast dry using paper towels before
roasting.
Trim dark green tops from leeks. Halve leeks
lengthwise and rinse well. Pat dry
and cut into 2-inch pieces. Put leeks and halved
potatoes in large roasting pan.
Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, season
with remaining salt and toss to coat. Spread
vegetables around roasting pan in even layer. Place
lamb roast on top, seam-side down
and transfer to oven. Roast until an instant-read
thermometer inserted into center of
meat reaches 135 F for medium-rare, about
1-1 1/2 hours.
Transfer lamb to cutting board and allow meat
to rest for 20-30 minutes, loosely covered with foil.
(The internal temperature will increase to 145 F.)
Bring reserved salsa verde to room temperature. Toss
vegetables in roasting pan to coat in pan drippings.
If they are tender and browned, set aside in a warm
spot while meat rests. If not, return to oven to finish
cooking.
Trim away kitchen twine and cut roast into
1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices over vegetables.
Stir salsa verde to incorporate oil, spoon it over meat
and serve.
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 27