Notes: Just thinking about this dish makes my mouth water! We use anchovies, garlic, and rosemary to season the lamb. I prefer to cook the lamb on the bone; it helps with both flavor and moisture, and the leftover bones are great for making a soup base. Any leftover meat is great for making shepherd’s pie or a lamb sandwich for lunch.
When buying lamb, look first at your local farmer’s market; many sell frozen meat. Frozen is no problem as long as it’s not frozen for more than about three months. When defrosting, put in the refrigerator to defrost slowly about 24 hours ,quick defrosting is not great for the meat.
You can prepare the lamb several hours ahead of time or even the night before; just take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you want to start cooking.
Serve with Celeriac Gratin (see vegetarian recipes).
Ingredients: 8 anchovy fillets (about 1 small can), drained
8 cloves garlic
16 small sprigs fresh rosemary (about two 6-inch branches, twigs separated from stem)
1 leg of lamb on the bone, about 5 pounds
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 cup good-quality chicken stock or lamb stock
1 cup red wine
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375º. Cut each anchovy and garlic clove in half, creating16 pieces of each. Combine one piece of anchovy, one piece of garlic, and one sprig of rosemary into a packet; repeat, making 16 little seasoning packets. With a small knife, make 16 small holes all over the lamb and insert a seasoning packet into each. Rub lamb with salt and pepper.
2. Place onion, stock, and wine in a roasting pan; place lamb on top. Roast in oven for about 1 hour then remove from oven and let rest for 30 minutes. The meat should have a little pink in the middle.
3. Remove lamb from pan and place on a carving board. Strain pan liquid (discard solids) and keep warm; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve lamb with pan juices.
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