Roast Lamb with Potatoes
Cool weather makes me want to eat stews, roasts and meatballs. I also feel like drinking some delicious red wine. It is my favorite time of year. There is still a lot of fresh produce available at the farmer’s market so the possibilities are endless.
I bought a lovely leg of lamb from Whole Foods and decided to roast it with lots of herbs, garlic and pancetta. I made a lovely paste with all the aromatics- most of them from my backyard. I slathered the paste all over the lamb as well as the potatoes.
Last year in Spello, Italy- Paola made a fabulous lamb dinner for us. She used similar ingredients to roast the meat and the potatoes. I tried to replicate the flavors and was quite successful. The lamb was super aromatic cooked with the delicious paste. It was cooked just right with a delicious crust.
The potatoes were yummy as well- I added the paste and a bit more salt. Since the paste had pancetta and olive oil, I didn’t need an extra fat for the vegetables. They roasted to perfection with tons of flavor.
Now for something green- I made creamed spinach. The dinner was delicious. We drank a delicious bottle of red and enjoyed the evening.
- 4 to 5 pounds bone in lamb leg (shoulder is even better)
- Salt
- Pepper
- 7 to 8 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped pancetta
- 2 teaspoons salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, olive oil, pancetta and salt into a small food processor. Process till smooth.
Rub three quarters of the paste onto the lamb. Sprinkle salt and pepper and let the lamb sit for at least an hour.
Roast the lamb for 30 minutes in the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and cover with aluminum foil and roast till internal temperature is 160 degrees. It should take about an hour and a half to two hours depending on the oven. Take out and let sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting.
Potatoes
- 10 medium yellow skinned potatoes, skinned and cut into 1 inch squares
- One quarter of the herb mixture left form the lamb
- Salt
- Pepper
