The
ABC's
of Cooking with
Lynn Fredericks
author of Cooking
Time Is Family Time
H is
for Herbs
Roast
Leg of Lamb Provencal
Adapted from
Lynne Fredericks' Cooking
Time is Family Time.
Roasts are an excellent
choice for parties and celebrations. The roast can be cooking while
you and the kids prepare side dishes. Leg of lamb is a very flavorful
choice. For this dish you will need a reliable butcher and to ask for
the leg to be boned. Also request that they place 6-8 cloves of garlic,
each halved, inside the meat before they tie it up. Garlic and lamb
go very well together and the garlic flavors will penetrate the flesh
deeply when embedded in the meat. Bring your children to the butcher
so the butcher can instruct them about the cuts and degrees of tenderness.
Serve the roast with ratatouille, parsley potatoes, or any simple vegetable
your family enjoys. Another delectable accompaniment is Polenta with
Portobellos (see recipe).
Yield:
6-12 servings
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus 1 Tablespoon
- One 6-8 pound leg of lamb (trimmed, butterflied and tied by butcher,
with 6-8 cloves of garlic inserted before tying)
Preheat
oven to 400°F.
Have little
ones pick the leaves off the rosemary and thyme and place on a cutting
board. Discard the stems.Now
have older children chop the herbs finely. Place the chopped herbs and
the 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Now let
everyone help rub the herb/oil mixture over the entire surface of the
leg of lamb, pressing the herbs into the flesh.
In a large
skillet, heat the remaining olive oil on high. Now parents should add
the leg of lamb and sear the entire surface area of the meat to seal
in the juices. This is awkward and too difficult for children. The sides
and ends must be seared and to do this, you must hold the meat up with
tongs or your hand and a long meat fork to allow each area to be browned
in the skillet. This will require a significant amount of strength that
only teenagers or parents can accomplish safely.
When the
meat is completely seared, place it in a roasting pan and roast until
cooked, about 1 hour for very rare meat and an additional 20 minutes,
approximately for medium rare. Remove from the oven after one hour to
check this, by inserting a knife on one end. If the end is very pink,
the inside is still quite rare. Roasts should be removed slightly rarer
than you want to eat it, as they should set for 10-15 minutes before
carving so all the juices are not released. The meat will continue to
cook while it is resting, so it is important not to remove from the
oven too over-cooked.
To serve,
carve the roast thinly and serve immediately while it is still very
warm.
Cooking
with Kids Home
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