Broiled Leg of Lamb w Avgolemeno Sauce
Source of Recipe
Michael Field's Cooking School
Recipe Introduction
Once you have broiled a boned leg of lamb, it is safe to predict that you won't want to cook it any other way again, at least for a while. Because it is subjected to rapid, continuous searing, the meat emerges literally bursting with its own juices. And you don't have to worry about it being too pink for one person or too well-done for another. Unlike a steak, the surface of a boned leg of lamb is uneven, varying in thickness from half an inch to 3 to 4 inches. When it is broiled, the meat will be simultaneously pink, medium, and well done, depending on the section you are carving.
List of Ingredients
Marinade:
2/3 C Olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 bay leaves, coarsely crumbled
1 C onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tsp. coarse salt or 1 tsp. ordinary salt
Sauce:
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp. arrowroot (level)
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 C Chicken stock, fresh or canned
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
Recipe
Marinate the lamb for at least 12 hours. Combine in a large shallow baking dish the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and crumbled bay leaves. Mix thoroughly, then add onions and garlic. Put the meat in a ziploc along with the marinade and coat everything. Every few hours turn the meat over. The marinade works best at room temperature, but if your kitchen is too warm, refrigerate and let the lamb come to room temperature before broiling it.
From start to finish, a 6-pound leg of lamb should take about 30 minutes to broil properly, after allowing 15 minutes to preheat the broiler to its maximum heat. It is well to be precise about this, for the lamb must be served as soon as it is done.
Without drying the meat, lay it, fat side down, on the hot broiler rack placed about 4 inches below the heat. Sprinkle the meat with about a teaspoon of coarse salt and broil for about 15 minutes. Don't baste it, but watch it carefully. If at any time the lamb shows signs of burning (some broilers are unpredictably hotter than others), turn the heat down a few degrees. at the end of 15 minutes, the surface of the lamb should be quite brown and charred attractively here and there.
With a pair of large tongs - not a fork - turn the meat over and moisten it with a few tablespoons of the marinade. Sprinkle the remaining salt over it, and broil it for about 12 minutes. With a small sharp knife make a tiny incision in the thickest part; if it is too red, broil it a few minutes longer. Ideally when it is sliced the lamb should be a pale pink rimmed with a dark brown crust; there should be the slightest suggestion of red in the center. The thinner areas of the leg will be quite well done, and there will be enough of it to take care of those who prefer it that way.
Have ready a hot serving platter when you remove the meat to a carving board. Carve the leg against the grain into quarter-inch slices, and lay them overlapping on the hot platter. Moisten the slices with whatever juices have collected on the board, and serve at once on warmed plates. Pass the sauce separately.
The avgolemono sauce may be made while the lamb is broiling or earlier if you prefer. Combine in the top of a double boiler the 3 egg yolks, the tablespoon of lemon juice, the level teaspoon of arrowroot and the salt and cayenne. Beat together lightly with a wire whisk, then slowly stir in the cup of chicken stock. Stirring constantly, cook the sauce directly over moderate heat until it begins to thicken. In no circumstances let it come anywhere near the boil, or you will end up with lemon-flavored scrambled eggs. When the sauce has thickened sufficiently to cling to the back of a spoon, remove the pot from the heat and set it over hot, but not boiling water in the lower part of your double boiler. This will keep the sauce warm until you are ready to use it. Stir the chopped parsley into the sauce just before pouring it into a hot sauceboat.
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