Roasted Leg of Lamb with Artichokes, Fennel and Red Bliss Potatoes
Filed under
Lamb
Prep: 30 min | Cook: 100 min | Servings: 8
Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell. Serves 8 to 10.
Note: you might not feel comfortable buying a big piece of meat and boning it out yourself. That's OK. Have your butcher do it, but keep the bone; you paid for it. Have the butcher separate the bones at the joints.
Ingredients
- 1 Leg of lamb, 8 to 10 pounds, boned, bones reserved
- Kosher salt
- 8 sprig Rosemary, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 6 clove Garlic, thinly sliced
- Olive oil, extra-virgin
- 1 Lemon, cut in half, for the vegetables
- 12 Artichoke, baby
- 2 Fennel, bulbs, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 lb Red potatoes, red bliss, about 20, quartered
- 10 clove Garlic, whole
- 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes, crushed
- 1 bottle White wine, dry
- 10 sprig Thyme, tied together with string
- 5 Bay leaf
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut the lamb into 2 equal halves and butterfly each half. Remove any huge gobs of fat, but don't try to get it all; fat tastes good and adds lots of moisture. Sprinkle each piece generously with salt, chopped rosemary, and sliced garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and massage the salt, rosemary, garlic and oil into the lamb, getting into the cracks and crevices. Roll each piece of lamb and tie with butcher twine. Sprinkle generously with salt. Reserve while you prepare the vegetables.
- For the vegetables: fill a bowl with water, squeeze the lemon into the water and add the lemon halves as well. Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichokes, stopping when you get to the fresh, light green leaves. Trim off any dark green or brown on the stem as well. Cut them in half and add to the lemon water.
- Remove the artichokes from the water and add them with the fennel, potatoes, garlic cloves and crushed red pepper to a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Add the wine, thyme and bay leaves.
- Nestle the lamb bones in the vegetable mixture and place the 2 lamb roasts on the bones.
- Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven. Roast the lamb for about 20 minutes, or until brown. Baste with the juices, turn the lamb over and brown the other side for about 20 minutes. Turn the lamb back over and baste again. Rearrange the vegetables if they begin to burn. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for another 60 minutes, basting occasionally and adding water to the pan if the liquid reduces too much.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Carve as desired and serve with the vegetables and pan juices.