Fennel rubbed leg of lamb with carrots and salsa verde is a flavorful and elegant dish that is perfect for a special occasion or a cozy dinner party. The lamb is rubbed with a mixture of fennel seeds, garlic, and rosemary, then roasted until it is tender and juicy. The carrots are roasted alongside the lamb, and the salsa verde adds a bright, herbaceous flavor to the dish. Serve with a side of your favorite roasted potatoes or rice for a complete meal.
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HONEY-BRAISED LEG OF LAMB WITH CARROTS AND FENNEL
Steps:
- In a small bowl, combine the mint, rosemary and garlic. Open up the lamb flat on a baking sheet and top with some salt and pepper, about 2 tablespoons of the honey and about three-quarters of the herb-garlic mix. Roll up the lamb and tie it with butcher's twine, then top with the remaining honey and herb-garlic mix. Refrigerate, uncovered, for about 2 hours to marinate, then let the lamb come to room temperature before cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Add the chicken broth, white wine, carrots, onions and fennel to a large Dutch oven, then set the lamb on top of the vegetables. Roast until the lamb registers an internal temperature of 130 degrees F (medium rare) on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours.
- Let the lamb rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a serving platter.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to mash the butter and flour together to form a smooth paste. Place the Dutch oven with the pan juices over medium heat and bring to a simmer, then whisk in the butter and flour mixture. Bring to a boil and heat until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Slice the lamb and serve with the vegetables and pan sauce spooned over.
FENNEL-RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH CARROTS AND SALSA VERDE
If you want to stuff the roast as pictured, ask your butcher for a butterflied leg, not tied. Double the ingredients for the rub recipe and smear half onto lamb, then roll and tie it, and smear with the rest of the rub before roasting.
Provided by Alison Roman
Categories Bon Appétit Dinner Lamb Roast Fall Spring Fennel Carrot Parsley Chive Lemon Juice Garlic
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Lamb:
- Season lamb generously with salt and pepper; let it sit out at room temperature while you prepare the rub.
- Using spice mill or mortar and pestle, coarsely grind fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in garlic and 3 Tbsp. oil. Evenly rub lamb all over with spice mixture, making sure to work it into every nook and cranny.
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large heavy skillet over medium. As soon as oil is hot and shimmering, add lamb to skillet and cook, carefully pouring off fat as needed into a small bowl (reserve it), until golden brown all over, 3-5 minutes per side. The goal here is to cook out some of the excess fat while you brown the meat, so it's important to maintain a moderate heat to keep the meat from getting dark before the fat can melt out. If the oil looks really dark or tastes burned, discard it and use olive oil in the next step.
- Trim tops from carrots and set aside for making the salsa verde. Scrub carrots, pat dry, and scatter along the outer edges of a large rimmed baking sheet. Place seared lamb in the center. Pour reserved fat and any fat still in skillet (don't forget to scrape out the crispy bits stuck to the bottom of the pan) over carrots, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- Roast lamb and carrots until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of leg registers 135°F for medium-rare, 75-90 minutes. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and tent with foil; let rest 20 minutes. Leave oven on.
- Salsa Verde and assembly:
- While the lamb is resting, transfer carrots to a platter, then carefully pour any juices from the baking sheet into a small bowl (you should have about 1/4 cup; if you don't, top off with olive oil). Transfer carrots back to baking sheet and pop back into oven. Roast 5 minutes to reheat.
- Meanwhile, finely chop reserved carrot tops to make 1/2 cup; discard remaining tops. Place in a small bowl and mix in parsley, chives, lemon juice, pan juices, and 2 Tbsp. oil. Season with salt and pepper and more lemon juice if needed.
- Remove twine from lamb and slice about 1/2" thick (but you can really go as thick or thin as you would like). Arrange on a platter and serve with warm roasted carrots and salsa verde alongside.
BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON SALSA VERDE
One of the joys of a butterflied leg of lamb is that it satisfies lovers of rare and medium-well meat at the same time. This is because of its uneven thickness. When you spread the meat out and roast or grill it at high heat, the thicker parts stay pinker than the thinner bits. Everyone ends up happy. Here, the meat is seasoned with cumin, lemon, chiles and plenty of fresh herbs, and is served with a mixed-herb salsa verde perked up with preserved lemon. It makes a particularly zesty main course for any large gathering. If you would rather grill the lamb, go right ahead. It will take about 12 to 17 minutes per side when grilled directly over the coals or flames.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, roasts, main course
Time 1h45m
Yield 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Pat lamb dry with paper towels and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Set aside 1 teaspoon of the garlic. In a bowl, combine remaining garlic with thyme, oregano or marjoram, cumin, chile, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon oil, just enough to create a sandy paste. Rub mixture all over lamb. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 1 hour or, even better, overnight in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the salsa verde: In a small bowl, combine a pinch of salt, the remaining teaspoon garlic, remaining 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons preserved lemon, parsley, cilantro, mint and scallion and stir well. Drizzle in remaining oil. Season with more preserved lemon, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and mellow.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast lamb without turning for 22 to 35 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 120 degrees for rare and 130 for medium. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the salsa verde.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 410, UnsaturatedFat 16 grams, Carbohydrate 5 grams, Fat 29 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 31 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 490 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram
GRILLED LAMB WITH SALSA VERDE
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories main-dish
Time 1h25m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Stir the first 7 ingredients and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a large bowl to blend. Whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Set the salsa verde aside. Place the lamb in a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Rub the minced garlic, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes all over lamb. Pour 1/2 cup of salsa verde over the lamb, turning the lamb to coat evenly. Use immediately, or cover the dish and remaining salsa verde separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 day.
- Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill the lamb until a meat thermometer inserted into the thicker parts registers 130 degrees F for medium-rare, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a work surface and let rest 15 minutes.
- Cut the lamb across grain into thin slices. Arrange the lamb slices on a platter. Serve the remaining salsa verde alongside.
HONEY-VINEGAR LEG OF LAMB WITH FENNEL AND CARROTS
This impressive-looking roast is easy to carve once you know where to start.
Provided by Dawn Perry
Categories Lamb Roast Christmas Easter Dinner Vinegar Fennel Carrot Fall Winter Honey Christmas Eve Bon Appétit Paleo Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Pulse garlic, parsley, fennel seeds, and 1/2 cup fennel fronds in a food processor until very finely chopped. With motor running, slowly add 1/4 cup oil and process until smooth; season generously with salt and pepper (mixture should taste quite salty as this is the only seasoning meat will get). Rub parsley mixture all over lamb. Transfer to a roasting pan, cover, and chill at least 8 hours.
- Let lamb sit at room temperature 1 hour. Bring vinegar and honey to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Set glaze aside.
- Place racks in lower third and middle of oven and preheat to 325°F. Toss fennel and carrots with remaining 1/4 cup oil in a medium bowl and arrange half around lamb in roasting pan; place remaining vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast vegetables on baking sheet on lower rack and lamb on middle rack until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of lamb registers 100°F, about 1 hour.
- Increase oven to 450°F, brush roast with glaze, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F, 20-25 minutes longer. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving (temperature will rise to 140°F for medium-rare while lamb is resting).
- Continue to roast vegetables, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender, 20-25 minutes longer.
- Serve lamb with vegetables, topped with fennel fronds.
- DO AHEAD: Lamb can be rubbed with parsley mixture and vegetables can be prepped 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.
Tips:
- To achieve the best flavor, use fresh, high-quality ingredients.
- Generously season the lamb leg with the fennel rub, ensuring it is evenly coated to enhance its taste.
- Roast the lamb leg until it reaches an internal temperature of 135°F (57°C) for medium-rare, allowing it to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing, which helps retain its juices.
- For the carrots, toss them with olive oil, honey, thyme, and salt, then roast until tender and slightly caramelized, adding a touch of sweetness to the dish.
- Prepare the salsa verde by combining parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, creating a vibrant and flavorful sauce that complements the lamb and carrots.
- Serve the fennel-rubbed leg of lamb with the roasted carrots and salsa verde, garnishing with fresh parsley for an elegant and delicious meal.
Conclusion:
The fennel-rubbed leg of lamb with carrots and salsa verde is a culinary masterpiece that combines the rich flavors of lamb, the sweetness of roasted carrots, and the tangy freshness of salsa verde. With its tender meat, caramelized vegetables, and vibrant sauce, this dish is sure to impress your guests and leave them craving for more. The detailed instructions and tips provided in this recipe ensure that you can recreate this restaurant-quality meal in the comfort of your own home, making it an excellent choice for special occasions or a memorable dinner party.
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