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1 cinnamon stick

10 coffee beans

5 black peppercorns

5 garlic cloves

2 star anise pods

1 leg of spring lamb, bone in, 4 to 5 pounds

8 rosemary sprigs

¼ cup olive oil

FOR THE PESTO:

Kosher salt

1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 cup rice bran oil or canola oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Serves 6 to 8

Fill a large pot with 5 quarts water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat and add the salt, sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, coffee beans, peppercorns, garlic, and star anise. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Set the brine aside to cool completely.

Once the brine has cooled, put the lamb leg in it, placing a heavy plate on top of the meat to keep it submerged. Cover the pot with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight (12 to 15 hours) in the refrigerator.

The next day, pull the lamb leg out of the brine, rinse it under cold running water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the brine.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Trim the excess fat off the lamb, leaving a little to help flavor and moisten the meat. Using a knife, score the surface with long slashes in a diamond-shaped pattern to allow the fat to expand while the meat is cooking. Place 4 rosemary sprigs in a deep roasting pan, and lay the lamb right on top. Remove the leaves from another 4 rosemary sprigs. Rub the meat with the olive oil, and sprinkle the rosemary leaves on top. Roast the lamb until the top is browned, about 40 minutes. Carefully turn the leg over and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted near the bone reads 128ºF, about 30 minutes.

While the lamb is roasting, prepare the pesto: Fill a medium bowl halfway with water, and put about a dozen ice cubes in it. Set it aside. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt, and blanch the basil and parsley in the boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds, until they’re bright green. Immediately strain the herbs through a colander and place the colander in the ice water to cool for 2 minutes (the ice water will stop them from overcooking and will help them retain their color). Drain, and squeeze the herbs dry with a kitchen towel. Combine the herbs and the oil in a blender or food processor, and pulse for a few seconds, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the lamb from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving.

Slice the lamb and serve it on a platter, accompanied by the pesto.

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Ruccola, Endive, and Radicchio Salad with Pine Nuts and Aged Goat Cheese

Endive and radicchio are bitter leaf vegetables that pair well with the rich peppery flavor and leathery texture of ruccola. This is a very sturdy salad that can hold up to the aged goat cheese and the thick dressing, so feel free to dress it heavily. We like to use a goat cheese from Cypress Grove Chevre called the Mad River Roll (see Resources), but any quality goat cheese will do. If you can’t find ruccola, you can use arugula—but if you can, try to hold out for the real deal. Ruccola is a peppery, sturdy green with a nice bite to it.

* * *

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BALSAMIC DRESSING:

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup rice bran oil or canola oil

FOR THE SALAD:

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 small head radicchio

2 heads Belgian endive

2 handfuls ruccola

1 tablespoon minced

flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon minced chives

2 whole scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 shallot, minced

4 ounces aged goat cheese, cut into four ½-inch-thick rounds

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Serves 4

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Scatter the pine nuts, for both the dressing and the salad, on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Cool completely (leave the oven on). Set aside 2 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts for the salad and reserve the rest for the dressing.

To make