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Easter: Leg of Lamp w/Garlic Stuffing




Source of Recipe


Adapted from The Essential French Cookbook, Edited by Heather Thomas
4 to 6 pound leg of lamb
1/4-cup butter

Pistou:
½ lb raw bacon slices, chopped
6 garlic cloves minced
4 tsp finely chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh parsley



Make the pistou: mix together the chopped bacon, minced garlic, chopped fresh basil, and parsley in a small bowl. Hint: If you partially freeze your bacon and chop it while it is still partially frozen, it is much easier.
Make an incision in the leg of lamb up to the bone and place pistou mixture inside. Pull the sides of the meat together to enclose stuffing. Sew it up with a trussing needle and thread.

Spread the lamb with ¼ cup of butter and place in a roasting pan. Depending on how you would like your lamb and how much time you have, follow the cooking instructions below:



(1) Slow Roasting - heat is 200º Fahrenheit
(2) Medium-Slow Roasting - heat is 250º Fahrenheit
(3) Medium Roasting - heat is 300º to 325º Fahrenheit


Part of your decision will be based on how much time you have and part on the result you want. If you have five hours, I would recommend beginning with a slow roast. You can increase the temperature if the meat is not getting done soon enough. To be absolutely safe, if you are going to use a thermometer, such as the Polder Remote Thermometer (#2999) or Taylor Classic Meat Thermometer (#7785), cook the roast in the oven for 10 or 15 minutes before inserting the thermometer. This will kill any surface bacteria. Then put in the thermometer. The Polder is fantastic, because it sits outside of the oven and lets you monitor the roast without opening the oven door. You can increase or decrease the oven temperature as needed to get the roast done just in time for dinner.
Decide on the degree of doneness you want. The internal temperatures:


Rare - 130º Fahrenheit
(2) Medium Rare - 140º Fahrenheit
(3) Medium - 155º Fahrenheit
(4) Well Done - 160º Fahrenheit


I like 150º. It gives me some pink toward the center and some darker meat near the surface as well.

Once the lamb is cooked to your liking, place it on a cutting board and remove the thread. Slice, and serve with jus or sautéed potatoes, if you prefer. Recipes follow:


Jus
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup beef stock
sea salt and pepper to taste


If you want, you can use the juices in the roasting pan to make the jus. To make jus, defat the juices in the pan. Place the roasting pan on the stove at a medium high heat. Add up to 1 cup of chicken stock and up to 1 cup of beef stock, depending on how much jus you want. Deglaze the pan, or scrape the brown bits in the pan so they become suspended in the stock. Simmer a little bit to reduce. Taste, and season with sea salt and pepper if needed.


Sautéed Potatoes
1 pound of potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices
5 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Add potatoes to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain well. Just before meat is cooked, heat oil and butter in a skillet. Sauté potatoes until crisp and golden, turning frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6.