How to Roast a Lamb_ New Greek Classic Cooking - Michael Psilakis [57]
Bring the lamb to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small roasting pan, whisk the reserved stuffing with the water, mustard, and Garlic Purée. Throw in the rosemary sprigs. Place a rack in the pan; the rack should not touch the liquid.
Again, season the lamb on all sides very generously with kosher salt and pepper. In a large, heavy skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, sear the lamb well on all sides, using tongs and leaning the meat up against the sides of the pan to sear the thinner sides and cut ends. Transfer the lamb to the rack seam-side up and roast for about 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the pan liquid. (When the meat is medium-rare—140°F—a skewer inserted at the thickest point should feel warm when pressed against your lower lip.)
Rest the meat for about 15 minutes. Slice ¼-inch-thick pieces, drizzle with the pan sauce, and finish with a little extra-virgin olive oil.
Optional: Peel and cut a few potatoes into rough wedges, toss with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and throw in the roasting pan.
To butterfly a piece of boneless lamb from the leg, lay the piece out flat, fatty-side down. Make 8 to 10 shallow cuts in the thicker parts, then open them out like a book and press flat. Your goal is a relatively flat surface, but don’t worry if it’s a little uneven—it will be concealed inside, with the stuffing.
FAMILY PACKS
Sometimes, a boneless leg of lamb is much larger than you want to serve. If so, make the most of it! Cut off a piece, freeze it, and use later for souvlaki, or in lieu of the venison in the stew on page 129. Alternatively, you can put it through a grinder and have meat for a ragout for Open Goat Moussaka, Papoutsakia, Seftalia, or the Lamb Burger. Buying family packs for the home cook is always a great way to save money. Be sure you double-wrap all items to be frozen and label them with weights and dates.
SUN-DRIED-TOMATO-CRUSTED LOIN OF LAMB WITH WILTED ARUGULA & TSATZIKI
ARNI ME KROUSTA APO LIASTES TOMATES, HORTA KAI TZATZIKI
SERVES 6 AS A PLATED ENTRÉE
This dish screams “Greek” to me: lamb, yogurt, and greens. What else do you really need? Try to find the large, bright red sun-dried tomatoes that are soft and pliable, like a good dried peach, not the dark purple, papery variety. Mince the rosemary here, because it’s so tough that even in the food processor, it will not reach the very small size necessary.
FOR THE CRUST
¾ cup large, plump sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons oil-cured black olives, pitted
½ teaspoon minced rosemary
1 small sprig thyme, leaves only
½ teaspoon dry Greek oregano
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
7 cloves Garlic Confit (page 264) or 2 tablespoons Garlic Purée (page 264), if you have it
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
About ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
FOR THE LAMB
3 lamb loins, at room temperature
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 shallots, finely chopped
6 cups (about 6 ounces) baby arugula leaves
to ½ cup Tsatziki (page 189)
For the crust, in a food processor, combine all the ingredients and purée to a very smooth, thick paste, about 45 to 60 seconds. Reserve.
For the lamb, preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the lamb loins liberally on all sides with kosher salt and pepper. Warm an ovenproof pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil and sear the loins well on all sides. Discard the oil and transfer the pan to the oven; roast 5 to 6 minutes per side. (A skewer inserted at the thickest point of the meat should feel warm when pressed against your lower lip.) Remove the loins from the oven and smear the sun-dried tomato crust over the top. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, warm a heavy skillet