March 22, 2017

Roasted Herbed Leg of Lamb – Arrosto di Agnello con Erbe

Name: Roasted Herbed Leg of Lamb - Arrosto di Agnello con Erbe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 85 min
Yield: 15
Ingredients: 1 5-pound boneless leg of lamb; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper; 4 sprigs of fresh thyme; 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary; 4 sprigs of fresh sage; 1 garlic clove (peeled and thinly sliced); 2 tablespoons peanut oil; 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter; Coarse sea salt

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Roasted Herbed Leg of Lamb {Arrosto di Agnello con Erbe} is the traditional meat for Easter in our Italian household. When we cook a leg of lamb, we try different seasonings but always come back to thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. It’s our favorite.

The herbs, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper let the taste of the lamb shine through. Isn’t that what we want when we cook meat? In the end, the leg of lamb turns out moist and fork tender.

A light sprinkle of coarse sea salt over the succulent leg of lamb slices before serving is the perfect finish.

Leg of lamb an age-old tradition

Although we like to experiment, we also believe in tradition. Roast lamb for Easter is a tradition that goes back to the first Passover of the Jewish people.

As some Hebrews converted to Christianity, they brought along their traditions and helped them spread. Throughout the ages, the Christians often referred to Jesus as The Lamb of God.

New traditions form with need

Now ham is more of a traditional Easter food in the United States. The reason being that in the early days there wasn’t refrigeration, so people slaughtered their hogs in the fall. The people preserved the fresh meat that they couldn’t consume during the winter months.

The curing process took a long time, and the first hams were ready around Easter. Ham, therefore, was the natural choice to celebrate Easter.

Preparing the boneless leg of lamb for roasting is simple. We take the meat out of the netting that holds it together.

How to prepare the herbed leg of lamb

We lay the lamb out, cut-side up, sprinkle the meat with kosher salt, pepper, then arrange half of the thyme, rosemary, and sage and all of the garlic on the roast.

Roll the meat around the herbs and tie it with twine, then salt and pepper the outside of the lamb.

How to roast the leg of lamb

We heat up the peanut oil in an ovenproof skillet or roasting pan over medium heat. Peanut oil is best because it has a high flash(smoke) point. Then brown the lamb on all sides, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the heated oven.

After about 45 minutes, add the butter and remaining herb sprigs and continue to roast the lamb.

Baste the meat occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

Final Step for the leg of lamb

Once the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 125°F., remove it from the oven and loosely cover it with foil. Let the leg of lamb rest for about 10 minutes.

Slice it and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. It’s now ready to enjoy.

Buona Pasqua { Happy Easter}! There is a saying:

Avere una famiglia significa avere qualcuno da amare, avere una casa significa avere un posta dove andare, averle entrambe è una benedizione. {Having a family means having someone to love, having a house means having someplace to go, having both is a blessing.}

Tutti a tavola è pronto!

Alla prossima

Roasted Herbed Leg of Lamb - Arrosto di Agnello con Erbe

The boneless meat is filled with garlic, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Then is it liberally sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and kosher salt. It is seared on all sides on top of the stove and finished in the oven.

5 from 20 votes

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Course: main dish, Meat

Cuisine: Italian and American

Keyword: Easter, Herbed lamb, Leg of Lamb

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Ingredients

1 5-pound boneless leg of lamb
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 sprigs of fresh sage
1 garlic clove peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Coarse sea salt

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375 F. Lay the lamb out flat, cut-side up, on a clean surface. Sprinkle the meat with kosher salt and pepper, then arrange half of the thyme, rosemary, and sage and all of the garlic on the meat. Roll the meat around the herbs and tie with twine at 1 1/2-inch intervals.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet or roasting pan over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Salt and pepper the outside of the lamb, then brown it on all sides, about 25 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven.
Cook the lamb for about 45 minutes. Add the butter and remaining herb sprigs and continue cooking the lamb, basting occasionally, for about 15 minutes. (The lamb is medium rare when a thermometer inserted in the center indicates an internal temperature of 125 F.) Remove the lamb from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve sprinkled with coarse sea salt.

Notes

Adapted from the recipe Roasted Herbed Leg of Lamb in "Think Like a Chef" by Tom Colicchio

Nutrition

IF YOU LIKED THIS ROASTED HERBED LEG OF LAMB YOU MAY ALSO LIKE . . .

: ITALIAN PORK ROAST BRAISED WITH MILK AND HERBS

: LONDON BROIL WITH DIJON MARINADE

: OSSOBUCO ALLA MILANESE WITH SAFFRON RISOTTO

Other recipes you may like . . .

Pork Fillet with Mushroom Risotto by Simply Delicious

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Basil Goat Cheese Sauce by Half Baked Harvest

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