Spring for lamb

« Cuisine

Share

With our Herb-roasted boneless leg of lamb (grass-fed, 14 day-aged) topped with an herb gremolata, we craved the caramelized sweet taste of roasted vegetables, sauteed pea shoots (a staple Chinese vegetable preparation) and some lightly pan-fried spaetzle.

While the leg is roasting, it is easy to roast any assortment of storage or winter vegetables. The lovely pea tendrils or shoots (the greens, leaves and tendrils before the plant produces peas) remind us of the beginnings of spring and are a nice foil to the vegetables and a quick saute away from serving. Spaetzle is a great alternative to potatoes or pasta as a starchy sidedish.

Herb-Roasted Leg of Lamb

With Mint Gremolata

We used a boneless leg roast (butterflied), about 3-4 pounds. We trimmed most of the silverskin and fat from the roast. However, you can ask your butcher to do it for you.

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1 tablespoon minced thyme leaves

2 tablespoons minced mint leaves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic or sherry vinegar, or leftover red wine (optional)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)

Mix all ingredients together to form a paste of sorts.

Open up the roast, if netted or tied, and slather of the herb paste on the inside of the roast.

Roll the roast back together and retie with butcher's twine, rub the remaining herb paste on the outside of the roast. (If you don't want to mess with tying the roast, just slather on the outside of the leg.) Place roast in a pan, cover with plastic and let marinate 2 to 24 hours.

Sear the roast on the stovetop and transfer the roast to the oven to finish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and roast until the internal temperature of the lamb is 120 degrees (for medium-rare to medium lamb).

Let the roast rest for at least 20 minutes, loosely covered with foil, before carving and serving.

A leg roast of 3 pounds should take roughly 1 to 2 hours in the oven. Check on roast after 45 minutes, and about every 15 minutes after that to prevent overcooking.

Serve lamb with a gremolata mixture to add a nice punch of flavor to the richness of the meat.

Gremolata

1/4 cup minced tender herb leaves (parsley, mint, tarragon)

1 tablespoon minced thyme leaves

2 lemons or oranges, zested (a microplaner zester makes very quick work of zesting--finely grating the outermost layer of skin on citrus)

1 minced shallot

1 minced garlic clove

Mix together in a bowl.

Rye Spaetzle

Little German dumplings that are easy to prepare in advance and finish right before serving.

1 tablespoon toasted caraway seed

1 tablespoon minced fresh or dried onion

4 teaspoons salt (2 teaspoons for the dough and 2 teaspoons for the water)

2 cups unbleached pastry flour (unpacked)

1 cup rye flour (pastry flour can be substituted for all of the flour)

4 large eggs

5/8 cup water

Place the caraway seed, onion and 2 teaspoons of salt in a mortar and grind. Alternately, grind in a coffee grinder (reserved for spices) or place in a self-seal bag and crush with a pan.

Measure the flour into a bowl and whisk in the caraway, onion and salt.

Make a well in the center of the flour.

Whisk the four eggs gently to break up, then pour into the well in the center of the flour.

Using a fork or whisk, whisk the eggs while gently incorporating the flour from the sides. Once the batter becomes stiff, slowly whisk in the water.

Lift the fork or whisk out of the dough to determine whether the batter is the right consistency. The batter should stick to the fork for a second before dropping into the bowl.

Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes.

Bring your saucepan of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons of salt.

Place colander over the saucepan and brush with cooking oil or butter.

Tip: If you don't have a spaetzle maker, set a colander (with inch or larger holes) over a pan of boiling water to make the dumplings. The colander should fit easily and snugly over the sauce pan.

With a spatula, press of the batter through the colander holes. The batter will form little dumplings when it hits the water. Don't overcrowd the saucepan.

Let the spaetzle cook about a minute after they float. Lift them out with a strainer or slotted spoon and place them on an oiled sheet pan to cool.

Continue with the remaining of the batter. After the dumplings are boiled, toss with a little olive oil (or cooking oil) and place in a covered container in the refrigerator until needed.

To finish by sauteing (creates a lovely crispy coat to the dumplings): heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and another knob of butter. When the butter is melted and foaming, add the spaetzle and stir or toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, or fresh herbs. Place in the oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown and slightly puffed. You can also toss the spaetzle with a tablespoon of melted butter and then place in an oven-safe dish to rewarm and lightly toast.

*Recipe is based on Judy Rodgers' The Zuni Cafe Cookbook

Roasted Winter Vegetables

1 head broccoli, florets separated, stalk peeled and cut on the diagonal

3 carrots, peeled, cut on the diagonal or roll cut into chunks

3 shallots, peeled and halved

3 parsnips, peeled, cut on the diagonal or roll cut into chunks

1 head cauliflower, florets separated to about the same size

1-2 tablespoons olive oil per vegetable

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh herbs to taste

Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh herbs.

Pour onto a sheet pan in an even layer.

Roast in a 375 degree oven until cooked and browned on the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into a piece of vegetable to make sure that it is cooked throughout. The vegetables will cook more evenly if they are cut into similar sizes.

Sauteed Pea Shoots

Winter greens such as lacinato kale, chard, mustard or dandelion greens will work as well.

1 pound fresh pea tendrils or shoots (available at Asian markets or mail order)

2 small cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup vegetable stock or water

Salt to taste

Wash pea tendrils and dry in colander.

Heat a large saute pan or wok until hot.

Add olive oil. Swirl and then add garlic. (Always preheat a pan before adding the oil. Have ingredients ready so that you can immediately add them before the oil burns or smokes in the pan.)

Before garlic browns, add pea tendrils and toss or stir to keep tendrils from burning.

Add stock or water to help wilt. Cook off liquid and finish with a touch of olive oil or infused oil.

Season to taste. Serve immediately.