Emeril's Roasted Leg of Lamb
— -- Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves1 cup chopped yellow onions1 tbsp. chopped garlic6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (reserve the lemon shells)1 tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. salt1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepperblack pepper1 cup olive oil1 leg of lamb (about 9 1/2 lbs.) trimmed of excess fat15 cloves garlic, peeled2 cups beef broth14 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter1/4 cup minced shallots2 tsp. chopped garlic3 lbs. assorted vegetables, such as asparagus, baby arrots, green beans, cauliflower florets and broccoli florets, each blanched in boiling salted water until tender and refreshed under cold running water1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves.
Ingredients for Roasted Potatoes:
24 new or small red potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.), washed and halved2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. bleached all-purpose flour1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
1. Put the mint, parsley, onions, chopped garlic, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper ina food processor or blender, and pulse several times to blend. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil through the feed tube. The mixture should thicken.
2. In the top of the leg of lamb, where the meat is exposed, make 15 holes using a knife. Insert the garlic cloves into the holes. Season the leg evenly with 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoons of the black pepper.
3. Put the lamb in a large shallow dish. Add the reserved lemon shells and pour in the marinade, spreading it evenly all over the lamb and rubbing it into the meat with your hands. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
5. Remove the lamb from the marinade. Put the lamb in a large roasting pan and roast on the bottom rack of the oven for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and roast until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 160 degrees on a meat thermometer for a delicate pink center, about another hour. If you prefer the lamb to be medium-rare, roast just until the internal temperature reaches 140 to 145 degrees, about another 45 minutes.
