LAMB WITH HERB PASTE AND SPINACH
This spring lamb offering is coated with an oil-based paste. The oil serves to give the lamb's crust a beautiful glossy appearance and helps infuse it with an herbal scent. You first make a pesto-like purée with a little oil, a lot of dill and parsley, a couple of cloves of garlic and a few anchovies. (The anchovies are optional but I believe invaluable.) Rub this herb paste all over the lamb and roast. When the lamb is done, and its flavorful fat has combined with the herbed oil that has run into the bottom of the pan, you use some of this fat to brown some bread crumbs, which become insanely delicious, and then to sauté a pile of fresh spinach. Voilà: a main dish, a side dish and a crunchy garnish, all in one. It's a meal fit for a celebration, whether religious or secular. Don't know how to carve a lamb? Mark Bittman shows you how in this video.
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories dinner, roasts, main course
Time 2h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 425º. Remove as much of the surface fat as is practical from the lamb. Combine the parsley, dill, oil, anchovies and garlic in a food processor (if you're not using the anchovies, add some salt). Purée, adding a little water if necessary. Rub the lamb with this mixture.
- Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan with about 1/2 cup of water. Roast for 30 minutes, then check; if the lamb threatens to burn, turn the heat down to 350º; otherwise leave it at 425º. If the bottom dries out (the rendering lamb fat should keep it moist), add a little more water. After about 1 hour (total), check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. When it reaches 130 for medium rare (125 for very rare) in its thickest part (check it in several places), it's done. Total cooking time will be less than 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let it rest.
- Pour off and reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and put the pan over a burner (or two, if it fits better). Toast the bread crumbs over low heat, stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper until they're lightly browned. Remove; add another couple of tablespoons of the fat to the pan. Add the pine nuts, raisins and spinach and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach is very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Carve the lamb and serve it on a bed of spinach, sprinkled with the bread crumbs.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 746, UnsaturatedFat 25 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 47 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 55 grams, SaturatedFat 18 grams, Sodium 1022 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams
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Rao Atish
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of spinach, but I loved it in this dish. The herb paste and spinach complemented each other perfectly. Will definitely make this again!
Boitumelo Ndlela
[email protected]This recipe is a great way to use up leftover lamb. I had some roasted lamb from a previous meal and it worked perfectly in this dish. Highly recommend for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Antonio sanchez YouTube channel
[email protected]The lamb was a bit overcooked for my taste, but the herb paste and spinach were delicious. I'll try again with a lower cooking temperature next time.
Allah distta
[email protected]I added some roasted vegetables to this dish and it was a great addition. The veggies added a nice pop of color and extra nutrients. Highly recommend trying this variation.
Isaac Tetteh
[email protected]This dish is a bit time-consuming to make, but it's worth the effort. The flavors are complex and the lamb is incredibly tender. Perfect for a special occasion dinner.
Arop Wuor
[email protected]Not a fan of lamb, but I tried this recipe out of curiosity and I was pleasantly surprised. The herb paste and spinach balanced out the lamb's flavor nicely.
Asim ali Khan
[email protected]I substituted chicken for lamb and it turned out great! The herb paste and spinach worked wonderfully with the chicken. Definitely recommend trying this variation.
Natasha Gift
[email protected]This recipe is a keeper! I've made it several times now and it's always a crowd-pleaser. The lamb is cooked perfectly and the flavors are divine.
MR SYED “MR SYED YT” YT
[email protected]The lamb was a bit tough, but the herb paste and spinach saved the dish. Overall, it was a good recipe with some room for improvement.
Reemreem Reemreem
[email protected]I love how easy this recipe was to follow. Even as a beginner cook, I was able to create a delicious meal that impressed my friends. Thank you for sharing!
Yasinaliarafat635 aliarafat
[email protected]Followed the recipe to a T and it was a hit with my family. The lamb was cooked to perfection and the flavors were spot-on. Will definitely make this again!
Peter asman
[email protected]This lamb dish turned out amazing! The herb paste added a burst of flavor to the tender lamb, and the spinach complemented it perfectly. Highly recommended!