Roasted Leg of Lamb with Green Garlic Salsa Verde
Paired with Mendocino County Zinfandel.
A leg of lamb is one of those main-course choices that’s extra special and extra easy—especially if you order it boneless from your butcher. In the spring, the meat is particularly tender and mild, with a flavor somewhere between lamb and beef tenderloin, so it goes particularly well with an assertive sauce. Our spring favorite is a salsa verde made with green garlic, which is young garlic that hasn’t developed a bulb and has a mellow onion-garlic flavor.
SERVES 8
For the leg of lamb:
1⁄3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1⁄2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1⁄4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1⁄2 cup rice oil or other neutral flavored oil
1 (6-lb) boneless leg of lamb
For the green garlic salsa verde:
3 cups finely chopped green garlic
3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 olive oil–packed anchovy fillets, minced
1⁄4 cup capers, chopped
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
To marinate the lamb: In a food processor, combine the parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon zest, garlic, and rice oil and process until smooth. Rub the mixture evenly over the lamb. Place the lamb in a large resealable plastic bag or wrap it in plastic wrap, then refrigerate overnight.
To roast the lamb: Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the lamb, fat side up, in a roasting pan and roast for 1 to 11/2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg registers 125°F.
Meanwhile, prepare the salsa verde: In a small pot, combine the green garlic and olive oil over low heat and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a small bowl. Set the green garlic and oil aside separately.
When the lamb is ready, remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 20 minutes. Pour the pan juices into a liquid measuring cup, let stand for a few minutes until the fat rises to the surface, and then skim off the fat with a large spoon.
In a medium bowl, combine the reserved green garlic, the pan juices, anchovy, capers, vinegar, Aleppo pepper, and salt and stir well. Add the parsley and oregano just before serving so they remain green. Adjust the consistency of the sauce as desired with the reserved green garlic oil (it should be like a thin pesto), then serve at room temperature. You should have 2 to 2 1/2 cups. The leftover green garlic oil will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To serve: Slice the lamb against the grain and arrange the slices on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the top and serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Pair with Mendocino Zinfandel.
