Recipe provided by | Chef Jim Botsacos
Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS
6 to 7 pounds boneless American Lamb leg, butterflied
Salt as needed
freshly ground pepper as needed
2 cloves garlic, quartered lengthwise 2 cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano leaves, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
Chicken stock or water as needed
Marinated Tomatoes
3 large beefsteak tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
garlic, minced 2 cloves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried Greek oregano leaves, crushed
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
Herb Bread Crumbs
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano leaves, crushed
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
METHOD:
Lay the butterflied leg of lamb, fat side down, on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper. Roll the lamb starting at the narrow end into an evenly shaped roast; tie securely with butcher’s string. Make 8 random, 1-inch deep slits into lamb and insert the garlic pieces. Rub olive oil over the entire surface of the lamb and sprinkle with additional salt, pepper and oregano. For optimum flavor, cover and refrigerate, marinating 3 hours or overnight. Place lamb on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Roast in 450°F oven for
25 minutes. Pour white wine around lamb; reduce heat to 400°F and continue roasting 45 to 50 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices. As liquid in pan evaporates add chicken stock or water 1/2 cup at a time. Spoon 3/4 cup Marinated Tomatoes over the lamb and continue roasting 10 to 15 additional minutes. Use meat thermometer to determine degree of doneness: 145°F for medium-rare, 160°F for medium or 170° for well. During last 5 minutes of roasting sprinkle Herb Bread Crumbs over lamb. Remove lamb from oven, cover and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Internal temperature will rise approximately 5 to 10 degrees upon standing. Serve with remaining Marinated Tomatoes on the side.
For Marinated Tomatoes: Score the bottom of each tomato with an “X.” Drop tomatoes one at a time into boiling water for a few seconds to loosen skin; remove and plunge into ice water. Peel off skin, repeat with all tomatoes. Quarter tomatoes, remove and discard seeds and pulp. Cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces and place in bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
For Herb Bread Crumbs: In mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle on lemon juice and oil, toss crumbs to coat.
Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board