Spit Roasted Leg Of Lamb With Preserved Lemon Saffron Olive And Vinaigrette Recipes

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH SAFFRON AND OLIVE SALSA

Steps:

• Make the salsa: In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar and saffron to a boil for 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and whisk in the olive oil slowly allowing it to incorporate and emulsify. Add the olives, lemon, and pepper. Set aside.
• Make the lamb: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Using a knife, make 8 deep slits into the meatiest parts of the lamb. Rub the lamb all over with the oil, oregano, lemon, and salt. Tuck the rosemary and garlic into the slits.
• Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and roast until well browned, about 30 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees F. and roast about 10 to 15 minutes more per pound. Alternatively, roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part (without touching the bone), reads 130 to 135 degrees F. for medium rare, 140 to 150 for medium. (Add about a cup water to the roasting pan to keep drippings moist, if desired.) Remove the lamb from the oven when it's about 5 degrees shy of preferred doneness. (The internal temperature will rise as the meat rests.)
• Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over high heat. Pour in the wine, and cook, scraping up the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until reduced slightly. Skim fat from the juices.
• Thinly slice the lamb and transfer to a warmed platter. Pour the juices over the lamb and top with the salsa. Serve immediately with orzo or white rice.

ALMOST-SPIT-ROASTED MOROCCAN LAMB

Steps:

• Trim lamb of extraneous fat, but leave a thin layer of fat covering the meat (or ask your butcher to do this). Use a sharp paring knife to cut slits all over the lamb. Lightly salt meat on both sides and place in a large roasting pan. Mix together butter, cumin, coriander, paprika, pimentón and garlic. Smear butter mixture over surface of meat. Allow meat to come to room temperature. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Roast lamb, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until it shows signs of beginning to brown. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Continue roasting for 3 to 4 hours, basting generously every 15 minutes or so with buttery pan juices, until meat is soft and tender enough to pull away easily from bones and skin is crisp. If surface seems to be browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil and reduce heat slightly. In this case, remove foil, baste lamb and allow skin to crisp before removing from oven.
• Transfer lamb to a large platter or cutting board and serve piping hot. Encourage guests to tear pieces of lamb with fingers; alternatively, carve meat from bones and chop into rough pieces. Serve with cumin-flavored salt, harissa and warm chickpeas if desired.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB WITH PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Halve preserved lemon; remove and discard seeds and flesh. Chop skin and pulse with garlic, shallot, chiles, mint and marjoram leaves, lemon zest and juice, and salt in a food processor until coarsely ground. Stir in oil. Reserve 3/4 cup marinade.
• Place lamb in a baking dish; rub with remaining marinade. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
• 3. Let lamb stand at room temperature 1 hour. Heat grill to medium-high. Remove lamb from marinade, brushing off excess. Grill, covered, 8 minutes. Flip; continue cooking until a thermometer inserted in center reads 130 degrees for medium-rare, about 8 minutes more. Cover loosely with foil; let rest 20 minutes. Slice thinly and serve with herb sprigs, lemons, and reserved marinade.

SICILIAN LAMB SPEZZATINO WITH SAFFRON AND MINT

Steps:

• Season chops generously with salt and pepper. Put olive oil in a wide deep skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown lamb on both sides, then remove and set aside. Lower heat to medium, add onion to pan and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, about 5 minutes.
• Stir garlic, saffron and tomato paste into onions and cook 1 minute. Add wine and simmer for 2 minutes, then return lamb to skillet. Add 4 cups water, just to cover meat, and bring to a boil. Put on lid, turn heat to low and simmer gently for about 45 minutes, until quite tender.
• Remove lid and raise heat to a rapid simmer. Simmer until juices have reduced by nearly half and sauce has thickened somewhat (may be prepared ahead to this point). Taste and adjust seasoning. Just before serving, reheat and stir in chopped mint.