Butterflied Leg Of Lamb

By á-170456

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb - (5 to 6 lbs) trimmed of fat, boned and butterflied
• 7 large garlic cloves
• Coarse salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 bottle full-bodied red wine
• 9 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained
• 1/2 cup pitted oil-cured olives plus
• extra for garnish
• 2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
• 2 teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil - (to 2) or as needed
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Make 15 to 20 small slits at regular intervals in the butterflied lamb. Sliver 2 of the garlic cloves and insert into the slits. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the lamb in a large lock-top plastic bag or a nonaluminum dish and add 2 cups of the wine. Seal the bag securely or cover the dish. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or for up to 3 days, turning occasionally. Bring the lamb to room temperature before roasting.

On a cutting board, place the remaining 5 garlic cloves, sprinkle with a few pinches of coarse salt, then chop. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup olives, herbes de Provence and the 2 teaspoons pepper and continue to chop to form a coarse paste.

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Remove the lamb from the marinade and lay it flat, cut-side up. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan, bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Evenly spread the tomato-olive paste over the meat. Roll up the lamb and tie securely with kitchen string at intervals of 2 to 3 inches.

In a roasting pan over high heat, warm enough olive oil to form a film on the pan bottom. Add the lamb and brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast, basting every 10 to 15 minutes with the reserved marinade, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 to 130 degrees for very rare to medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Alternatively, cut into the meat with a sharp knife; it should be pink or done to your liking. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over high heat. Add 1 cup of the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Bring to a boil and boil until reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Spoon off the fat from the pan juices, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a warmed sauceboat.

Snip the strings and carve the lamb across the grain into thin slices. Arrange on a warmed platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with the olives. Pass the pan juices at the table.

This recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.