Food Network Magazine - (12)December 2020

To carve,

hold the lamb

by the bone and

slice the meat

straight down

along the bone.

Treat your family to a special feast

this season with one of these

festive meats as the starring dish.

co

oking school

_˂ɾƄÑΤ

˅Ṇ̳̣̃

holiday

eats

LEMON-ROSEMARY ROAST LEG OF LAMB

ACTIVE: 20 min l TOTAL: 3 hr (plus 4 hr refrigerating) l SERVES: 6 to 8

1 6½- to 8-pound bone-in leg of lamb

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Trim the excess fat from the lamb, leaving a ¼- to ½-inch layer of fat. Using
   a sharp knife, make small slits, about ½ inch deep and 2 to 3 inches apart,
   all over the surface of the lamb. Fill each slit with a slice of garlic (fig. A).


2. Grate the lemon zest into a small bowl (reserve the lemon). Add the
   rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Rub the mixture all
   over the lamb (fig. B). Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.


3. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature
   about 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 425 ̊. Set a rack in a
   roasting pan and set the lamb fat-side up on the rack (fig. C). Cut the
   reserved lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the lamb; drizzle with
   the olive oil and rub all over to coat. Add the lemon halves to the pan.
   Roast until the fat on the lamb starts to sizzle, about 20 minutes.


4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 ̊ and continue roasting the lamb
   until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130 ̊ for
   medium rare to medium, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more. Remove
   to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes before carving. AB

RECIPES BY MELISSA GAMAN, YOUNG SUN HUH AND AMY STEVENSON

PHOTOS: MIKE GARTEN; FOOD STYLING: ROSCOE BETSILL; PROP STYLING: KARIN OLSEN.

86 FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE ●DECEMBER 2020