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I'm back! Its been awhile since my last posting. We have been busy! I have many things I want to share, but wanted to start with the Provencal Lamb that I made for Easter. Delicious! I have never cooked a full bone-in leg of lamb and I was so pleased with the results. The tomato sauce that is roasted along with the lamb is so good you'll want to eat it straight with a spoon. To accompany the lamb, I made my Yogurt Cucumber salad and homemade rolls. I'll admit, I was slightly intimidated by the size of the lamb before I cooked it...but it turned out beautifully. This might become our new Easter tradition. Enjoy!
Provencal Lamb
- 1 6-7lb. bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed and tied
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbs. chopped garlic (9 cloves), divided
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 3 lbs. ripe red tomatoes, cored and 1inch diced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup good honey, divided
- 1 large Spanish onion, sliced
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the leg of lamb in a large roasting pan fat side up and pat it dry with paper towels. Combine the mustard, 1 Tbs. of the garlic, the rosemary, balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbs. salt, and 1/2 tspn. pepper in a mini food processor and pulse until garlic and rosemary are minced. Spread the mixture on the lamb.
-Place the tomatoes, olive oil, 1/4 cup of the honey, the onion, the remaining 2 Tbs. garlic, 1 Tbs. salt, and 2 tspns. pepper in a bowl and toss well. Pour the tomato mixture around the lamb and tuck in the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Drizzle the lamb with the remaining 1/4 cup of honey. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and roast for another 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until a meat thermometer registers 130 to 135 degrees for medium-rare. Place the lamb on a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
-Discard the herb stems and return the tomatoes to the oven to keep warm. Slice the lamb, arrange on a platter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with the tomatoes and pan juices spooned on top. Enjoy!
