Easter Dinner!

After 17 years cooking professionally I have learned one thing. Spring time holidays must have lamb.

There will be lamb.

This video was not so much about cooking off the lamb as it was about creating the whole meal. The lamb was simple enough. All you really had to do was not overcook it. The best way to not overcook the lamb is by using a thermometer. I have 3 thermometers in my kitchen. The first is a candy thermometer that I never use because the few times I have made candy I have used my instant read. I like the Comark instant read thermometer. It is fast, has it's sensor right at the tip and is reasonable priced. This is my go to, everyday, whenever I reach for a thermometer this is the one I grab, thermometer.

I have one more thermometer that I bring out when I roast or smoke items. I use the Chugod 6 probe thermometer. What I like about this is it comes with 6 probes and has Bluetooth connectivity. With this I can monitor 6 different items. More ofter than not I use it to monitor the temperature of the smoker!

Whatever brand of kitchen thermometer you choose, remember one thing. A thermometer is useless if you cannot calibrate it.

Back to the lamb.

The first step is to season the lamb. To do that I decided to open it up. I carefully pulled the netting off. This is food grade so it doesn't hurt to leave it on. (save it for use later) I took it off to get to the inside of the boneless Leg. I opened up the leg and quickly checked for large nasty connective tissue. I removed them and sliced open on of the larger muscles. I seasoned with salt and my rub.

1 Tablespoon Whole Cumin

1 Tablespoon Whole Coriander

1 Tablespoon Whole Fennel Seed

1 Tablespoon Whole Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Whole White Pepper

1 tablespoon Ancho powder

Olive oil to make a paste

I toasted off the cumin, coriander, fennel seed, black pepper and white pepper. You can do this in a skillet over moderate heat or in an oven. The goal is to release the flavorful oils native to the spices. I then moved them to my spice grinder, AKA old coffee grinder. I ground them pretty fine. I added the ancho and turned this into a paste by stirring olive oil. Rub this paste on the inside of the leg and then do your best to roll the leg back into the bundle. Use the netting to hold it together.

Note: This netting will burn if exposed to high or direct heat. If I were grilling this directly over the coals I would not re-use it.

I smoked the lamb until it reached 100f. I will finish it in the oven the next day.

I know not everyone has a smoker. That is fine and is part of the reason I decided to cook this two ways. Just skip the smoker and proceed from here.

The second cooking consists of roasting the lamb in a roasted garlic, rosemary crust. we will start with roasting the garlic.

There are many ways to roast garlic. This way will give you consistent results. Probably the reason every other chef I know roasts their garlic this way. Take your peeled garlic put it in a small sauce pan and cover with olive oil. Set the pan on your stovetop over low heat. When the garlic takes on a mute color and is very soft you are done. Take the pan off the heat and allow it to come to room temperature.

You can buy the garlic already peeled. Most supermarkets carry this product. Just make sure it is fresh. There is no shame in using this product. Every restaurant I have worked at buys pre-peeled garlic.

For this recipe I used the equivalent of 4 bulbs.

Next chop your rosemary. I used about 2 ounces, with stems. Strip the leaves off the stems and chop them up fine. Do not use dried rosemary! They are nothing more than mini toothpicks.

Strain the garlic while reserving the oil. You may need some of the oil for the paste. The remainder must be kept refrigerated. Bad nasties can grow in garlic oil! Move the roasted cloves to a blender carafe or work bowl of your food processor. Add the rosemary and puree. IF it is a bit too thick add the garlic oil until it becomes a smooth puree.

Rub this all over the lamb and roast until the internal temperature reaches 125f. This should give you a nice Medium Rare.

Slice and serve!

Oh, I also made a variation of Aligot potatoes, sautéed mustard greens and an apple mint compote. You can watch the video for those recipes.

~Terry