Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [50]
4. Transfer the roast to a warm platter and let it rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for 15 minutes; the temperature will rise to 140°F (60°C), or medium-rare. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C) and continue cooking the potatoes until they turn brown and crispy. Slice the lamb and serve with pan juices.
Variations
ο Simply roast the lamb without the potatoes, and then make a sauce with the drippings. Discard the fat and add about 1 cup (250 ml) red wine, lamb stock, or a combination to the pan. Bring to a boil, deglazing the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, then strain and season with salt and pepper. Add fresh herbs or some pomegranate juice to the sauce to highlight the flavor, if desired.
ο Serve the lamb with the anchovy-vinegar sauce (page 122). While the roast is resting, discard the fat from the pan, add the wine, and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the anchovy-vinegar mixture and boil to reduce to a sauce. For anchovy lovers, add some chopped anchovies to the olive oil before roasting.
ο Brush the lamb with the Mustard-Oregano Glaze (page 111) an hour before roasting. Then roast or use one of the lamb rack toppings (see variations, pages 107-108) on the roast.
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Carving Lamb Leg or Shoulder
A leg of lamb can be carved like a ham (see page 75), but I prefer to carve it the following way: Turn the leg, rounded side up. Hold it firmly with a carving fork inserted into the shank end of the leg, and cut slices from the rounded side, parallel to bone. Once you reach the bone, turn the leg over and carve more slices parallel to the bone. Finally, carve slices from the shank end, again parallel to the bone.
The shoulder has part of the spine running down one side of it. From this, there are several rib bones on one side and small flat feather bones on the other. These are really not a problem, as the meat sits on top of them. The problem is the hidden blade bone, if you are going to roast the shoulder, ask your butcher to remove the blade bone. This will allow you to slice the meat from the fat side down to the ribs and spine, then you can free the slices by cutting along the bone. If the blade bone has not been removed, just slice the meat until you strike the bone, then free the slices by cutting them away from the bone. Once the blade bone is exposed, twist it out, and continue slicing to the ribs; you may also have to cut out pieces of fat as you carve. If the shoulder is braised, the blade bone is not a problem: the meat will lift easily from the bone and most of the fat will have melted away.
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Olive-Crusted Lamb Racks
A rack of lamb is one of the easiest cuts to prepare. Low in fat and high in flavor, it is quick to cook. Perfect for an intimate dinner for two, and impressive enough for a fancy dinner party. (You can double or triple this recipe with no problem.) Buy good-quality olives for this recipe—that will probably mean they have pits. Pitting them is simple, just smash each one with the flat side of a knife, like a garlic clove, to loosen the pit, then remove it.
One 8-rib lamb rack, about 1½ pounds (625 g), well trimmed and frenched
⅓ cup (60 g) black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup (125 ml) dry red wine
½ cup (125 ml) Lamb Stock (page 95)
1. Remove the lamb rack from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
2. Place the olives, rosemary, garlic, and mustard in a food processor, add the lemon zest and juice, and blend until the olives are finely chopped.
3. Pat the lamb