Spring Lamb With Oregano Recipes

SLOW-COOKED LAMB WITH LEMON AND OREGANO

Steps:

• Combine lemon juice, oil, oregano, and water in a large nonreactive baking dish. Rub lamb all over with salt and pepper, and place in marinade, turning to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 24 hours, turning once or twice.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer lamb and marinade to a roasting pan. Cover lamb with parchment, and cover pan tightly with heavy foil. Roast 1 hour, then flip lamb. Cover again, and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Roast lamb 2 hours.
• Flip lamb gently, since it will be very tender. Add potatoes to pan, and sprinkle with a little salt. Cover, and roast 1 hour. Raise heat to 400 degrees. Uncover, and roast until potatoes are golden around edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

RAGOUT OF LAMB AND SPRING VEGETABLES WITH FARRO

Steps:

• Tie together oregano, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves with kitchen twine.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 12-15 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate as you go.
• Add onions to pot and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds before adding vinegar. Cook, scraping up browned bits, until syrupy, about 1 minute.
• Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by about one-fourth, about 4 minutes. Add broth, lamb, and herb bundle. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently, partially covered, until lamb is tender, 75-85 minutes.
• Stir in farro and cook until nearly al dente, 15-20 minutes. Remove herb bundle; add turnips. Cook until farro is cooked through, turnips are tender, and lamb is almost falling apart, 30-40 minutes. Mix in asparagus and peas; cook until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Add greens and stir to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with oil.

SPRING LAMB IN HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Toast coriander and fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
• Coarsely chop cilantro leaves and tender stems (you'll get about 2 cups) and transfer to a large bowl. Coarsely chop dill leaves and tender stems (you'll get about 2 cups) and add to bowl with cilantro. Pick leaves from tarragon bunches (do not chop; you'll get about 1 cup) and add to bowl; discard stems. Add scallions and toss to combine. Transfer 2 cups herb mixture to a small bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and chill until ready to use. Transfer remaining herb mixture to a food processor. Add coriander and fennel seeds, preserved lemons, garlic, 1/4 cup oil, and 2 tsp. kosher salt. Purée until a paste forms.
• Roll out a piece of foil that's more than double the length of a rimmed baking sheet. Center foil on baking sheet, then place lamb on foil. Rub lamb all over with herb paste. Bring up foil around lamb and wrap tightly to seal. Roast until lamb is super tender and is falling off the bone, 4-4 1/2 hours. (It's important that you don't open the foil packet once sealed. To check the meat, slide a skewer or small knife through the top of the foil; the meat should yield and shred easily.)
• Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large pot. Pour in water to cover; season with salt. Cover pot and bring water to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a medium bowl.
• Unwrap lamb (juices will run everywhere, so be careful to make sure they stay on the baking sheet) and let cool 20 minutes. Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Pull meat off bone and shred into pieces. Return meat to baking sheet and toss in herby juices.
• Transfer lamb to a platter. Pour juices over lamb and potatoes. Top lamb with reserved herb mixture. Drizzle lamb and potatoes with oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with sea salt.

ROASTED LAMB WITH GARLIC AND OREGANO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a blender, puree garlic, oil, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Place lamb in a roasting pan; rub with garlic mixture. Roast, turning pan once, 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; roast, until a thermometer inserted in center registers 130 to 135 degrees, 50 to 60 minutes for medium-rare.
• Meanwhile, make yogurt sauce: In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, parsley, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Transfer lamb to cutting board, and tent loosely with foil; let rest 20 minutes. Remove strings from lamb, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with yogurt sauce.

ROASTED YOUNG SPRING LEG OF LAMB SPANISH STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Clean lamb of any excess fat around the thick and meaty portion of the leg. In a bowl, combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano and oil. Rub the lamb thoroughly with salt mixture. Place cut vegetables in a large turkey roaster. Rest the lamb on top of vegetables. Place the leg of lamb in the oven and roast until internal temperature, at thickest portion of lamb, registers 135 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove lamb from oven and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Discard vegetables. Serve with White Beans and Saffron recipe (recipe follows).
• Drain soaked beans. Place in a large pot with fresh water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours with bay leaves. Add 1 teaspoon salt after simmering for 1 hour. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add parsley and saffron, allow to cook for 1 minute more, and remove from heat. Drain the cooked beans of excess water. Return the beans to the pot and add cooked onion mixture. Combine and reheat. Check seasoning and serve.

OREGANO LAMB STEAKS WITH LEMON, OLIVE OIL AND FETA CHEESE MASH

Steps:

• Rip the tender little leaves off the oregano sprigs and place into a bowl with the olive oil. Crumble in the feta cheese. Season, to taste, with freshly ground black pepper, then add the chopped spring onions and lemon juice and mix everything together gently, mashing some of the cheese.
• Heat a griddle pan until hot, season the lamb steaks with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and brush each steak with a little olive oil before placing on the hot griddle. Cook for a few minutes one each side, or until lightly crisp - I like mine still pink in the middle.
• Pop the pitta breads into a toaster or under the grill for a minute or two, until they are puffy and hot; carefully cut them into three pieces and place on the serving plate.
• Place the lamb steaks on top of the hot, cut pitta bread and while they are still sizzling, gently spoon over the feta and herb mash. Eat immediately, while all is hot, herbal and piquant! Serve with jacket potatos, fresh mixed salad leaves and a good glass of wine.

SLOW ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH OREGANO AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to hot.
• Using sharp knife, pierce 12 cuts into lamb; press garlic and oregano into cuts.
• Place lamb in large flameproof baking dish; pour wine, stock and juice over lamb.
• Cover tightly; roast lamb in hot oven 30 minutes then reduce temperature to moderate; roast lamb, covered tightly, brushing occasionally with pan juices, for a further 3 hours or until lamb is extremely tender.
• When lamb has about 1 hour left to roast, place potato, lemon and olives in separate baking dish; drizzle with oil, and place in oven; roast, uncovered, until browned and tender.
• Transfer lamb to serving dish; cover to keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved lamb juices in same flameproof baking dish; stir in flour.
• Cook, stirring, until mixture is well browned.
• Gradually stir in remaining lamb juices and the water; stir until gravy boils and thickens.
• Slice lamb; serve with potato mixture and gravy.

SPRING LAMB WITH OREGANO

Steps:

• Mix together olive oil, oregano, shallots and salt. Rub all over leg. Put meat in a bowl and cover. Place in fridge or a cool place for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 190C/170C Fan
• Heat olive oil in roasting tin and brown leg on all sides
• Roast in oven for 60-75 mins for pink meat, 90 mins™ for better done (see website note on roasting times)
• Allow to rest in a warm place for 20-30 mins before carving
• Serve this joint in the Italian way, alone, preceding it with a risotto of spring vegetables (baby broad beans, artichokes and peas are a very good combination, and a lovely colour), but you may like to have a few Jersey Royals, smothered in unsalted butter and rock salt.

ROAST SPRING LAMB WITH ROSé WINE & ORANGES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Using a small knife, trim away any excess fat from the lamb and place the fat in the roasting tin. Then criss-cross the top and sides of the lamb with the knife, making shallow incisions. Mix half the olive oil with the rosemary, salt and pepper and set aside.
• Place the roasting tin over a medium heat and warm the lamb fat with the remaining olive oil for a few seconds. Add the lamb and rub the rosemary oil over the top and into the slashes. Keep turning the lamb over in the hot oil until it begins to colour all over.
• Tip the vegetables and sprigs of herbs into the tin, sprinkle the lamb with a little extra salt and roast in the oven for 50 minutes or until the outside fat starts to brown. Remove the tin from the oven and turn the temperature down to fan 140C/ conventional 160C/gas 4.
• Scrape the vegetables away from the bottom of the tin and turn the lamb over. Baste with a little of the fat, then continue to roast for 45-50 minutes. Test by inserting a metal skewer into the thickest part of the leg: for medium-rare meat, the tip should feel warm to the touch and the juices that run out of the meat should be fairly pink.
• Remove the lamb to a warmed serving dish and cover with a loose tent of foil. This will prevent heat escaping and will allow the lamb to relax while the gravy is made.
• Blanch the orange zest in boiling water for 1 minute until soft, then drain and set aside. Remove the vegetables from the roasting tin (reserve any that aren't too dark for tucking round the roast), then put the tin on a medium heat and skim away all but 1 tbsp of the fat. Sprinkle the flour in and stir constantly. Add the wine, orange juice and zest and stock and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes until the gravy thickens, colours and is reduced by about half. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Finally, stir in the redcurrant jelly and simmer until melted, then strain. Serve the lamb surrounded by any reserved vegetables, with the hot gravy.