Cook the Book: Roast Leg of Lamb with Anchovy, Garlic, and Rosemary
This week's Cook the Book is Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson. If you haven't heard of Hopkinson, chances are you aren't English; in Britain, this book was voted the most useful cookbook ever by a group of chefs, food writers, and readers.
Yesterday, czken asked what sides to serve with an Easter leg of lamb, so we figured we'd highlight Roast Chicken's recipe for the main attraction. Oh, and in the book, Hopkinson recommends mashed potatoes as a side dish. (Related: We'll feature a recipe for puréed potatoes with parsley later this week that might work with this dish, too.) Enjoy!
Win 'Roast Chicken and Other Stories'
To give you a taste of how useful this book is, we're excerpting a dish a day this week. Today's follows, after the jump. If that whets your appetite, you can find Roast Chicken on Amazon or enter to win a copy here on Serious Eats.
Roast Leg of Lamb with Anchovy, Garlic, and Rosemary
Adapted from Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson.
Ingredients
4-pound leg of lamb
2 two-ounce cans anchovies
1 small bunch rosemary
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced lengthways into 3 pieces
6 tablespoons butter, softened
Black pepper
1/2 750-ml bottle white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch watercress, to garnish
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. With a small sharp knife, make about 12 incisions 2 inches deep in the fleshy side of the lamb leg. Insert a piece of garlic, half an anchovy, and a small sprig of rosemary into each incision. Push all of them right in with your little finger. Cream the butter with any remaining anchovies and smear it all over the surface of the meat. Grind plenty of black pepper over it. Place lamb in a roasting pan; pour the wine around it. Tuck in any leftover sprigs of rosemary; pour lemon juice over. Place in oven; roast 15 minutes.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; roast lamb for an additional hour, or slightly more, depending on how well-done you like your meat. Baste from time to time with the winy juices. Take meat out of oven; let rest in a warm place at least 15 minutes before carving.
3. Meanwhile, taste the juices to see if any salt is necessary (the anchovies should take care of most of the salt needs). During roasting, the wine should have reduced somewhat and mingled with the lamb juices and anchovy butter to make a gravy. If it's too thin, reduce it some more on the stovetop.
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5 Comments:
I would love to win this book, I love roasting meats and veggies for easy and tasty meals.
rockymountainmarta at 4:07PM on 02/27/08
Thank you for yet another Intriguing variation on the preparation of a leg of lamb. If this keeps up, I'll be compelled to cook more than one per year. The ingredient list for this version is probably the most interesting to me. I wonder if I'd be able to sneak the anchovies in without detection by the resident Food Police?
czken at 6:33PM on 02/27/08
Anchovies melt into a mixture and don't lend a fish-like taste to a recipe. They give a mellow, piquant taste to the rest of the dish - kind of a complex, interesting taste but not dominant.
I'd try getting them past the resident Food Police.
Raki5 at 8:22PM on 02/27/08
My favorite ingredients - I HAVE to make this. Calls for a real Caesar salad along with the other sides. Who knew there'd be a lamb recipe this awesome in a chicken cookbook? Thanks Adam. I have something new to try for Easter this year!
PerkyMac at 3:42PM on 02/28/08
I'm gonna make this soon :D Thanks!
Chocolatesa at 4:31PM on 05/07/09