Roast Lamb
This is an amazing roast to make for the holidays. We originally had it in Spello, Umbria. A friendly woman named Paula made it for us. I watched her make it step by step and replicated it at home.
I realized the ingredients make an amazing difference. The Italian vegetables and meats are amazingly fresh and taste so different. I tried my best to buy the most local and fresh ingredients I could find including using herbs from my garden.
The key is to use a lamb shoulder which can be roasted several hours in the oven. If you prefer a lamb leg, make sure you don’t over cook it.
It is perfect for Christmas. I made it with a white bean ragu, a big green salad and a huge tray of tiramisu. How can you go wrong with that??
- One 5 pound lamb shoulder roast
- ¼ cup chopped pancetta
- ¼ cup chopped pork fat
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage
- ¼ cup fennel frawns
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Process the pancetta, pork fat, rosemary, thyme, sage, fennel frawns and garlic cloves in a food processor until smooth. Keep aside.
Place the roast in a roasting pan and spread the pancetta mixture on the lamb roast- you can use all of it or save some for roast vegetables to be served on the side. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Pour 2 cups chicken broth at the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and roast for about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Bring the heat down to 350 degrees and roast for another 45 minutes- till the meat is tender and soft.