Tantalize your taste buds with a culinary journey to the heart of Italy with our exquisite Italian Leg of Lamb with Lemon Sauce recipe. This classic dish showcases the perfect harmony of tender, succulent lamb and a vibrant, tangy lemon sauce that elevates the flavors to new heights. Accompany your main course with a selection of delectable side dishes, including:
* **Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables:** Bring the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean to your plate with a medley of roasted vegetables, including zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions. These colorful accompaniments add a delightful sweetness and a pop of color to your meal.
* **Lemon-Herb Potatoes:** Elevate your potatoes with a zesty twist by tossing them in a mixture of lemon zest, fresh herbs, and olive oil. The potatoes emerge from the oven with a crispy exterior and a tender, flavorful interior that perfectly complements the lamb.
* **Wilted Spinach with Garlic and Parmesan:** Add a touch of green to your spread with wilted spinach sautéed in aromatic garlic and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. This simple yet elegant side dish offers a delightful balance of flavors and textures.
Complete your Italian feast with a refreshing dessert that cleanses the palate and leaves a lasting impression. Our selection includes:
* **Lemon Ricotta Cake:** Indulge in the delightful combination of sweet and tangy with our Lemon Ricotta Cake. This moist and fluffy cake features a tender crumb, a creamy ricotta filling, and a vibrant lemon glaze that will leave you craving more.
* **Italian Fruit Salad:** Refresh your senses with a vibrant Italian Fruit Salad, a medley of fresh seasonal fruits tossed in a light lemon-honey dressing. This colorful and refreshing dessert is a perfect ending to your Italian culinary adventure.
LEMON-ROSEMARY ROAST LEG OF LAMB
We've taken the classic approach of studding the lamb with garlic and coating in a generously seasoned rub. Giving it time to marinate is the key, then roast for a crispy exterior and tender, juicy inside.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 3h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Trim the excess fat from the lamb, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch layer of fat. Using a sharp knife, make small slits, about 1/2 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches apart, all over the surface of the lamb. Fill each slit with a slice of garlic.
- Grate the lemon zest into a small bowl (reserve the lemon). Add the rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Rub the mixture all over the lamb. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature about 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Set a rack in a roasting pan and set the lamb fat-side up on the rack. Cut the reserved lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the lamb; drizzle with the olive oil and rub all over to coat. Add the lemon halves to the pan. Roast until the fat on the lamb starts to sizzle, about 20 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F and continue roasting the lamb until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130˚ F for medium rare to medium, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes before carving.
PAPRIKA ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT SAUCE
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 11h40m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Marinate the lamb: Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Place the lamb on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan; poke about 10 slits into each side with the tip of a paring knife. Rub the marinade all over the lamb, massaging it into the meat and slits. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature about 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set a rack in a roasting pan. Wipe any excess marinade off the lamb and season all over with salt and pepper; transfer to the rack. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130 degrees F to 135 degrees F, about 1 hour 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and let rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving.
- Meanwhile, make the mint sauce: Combine the mint, parsley, garlic, mustard, capers, lemon juice, sugar, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender and puree until smooth. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Carve the lamb and serve with the sauce.
ITALIAN LEG OF LAMB
When this pleasantly seasoned roast appears on my Easter table, no one walks away hungry. Garlic, lemon juice and seasonings make each bite of this succulent lamb irresistible.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 2h25m
Yield 11 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil and seasonings. Pour half of the marinade into a shallow dish; add lamb. Turn to coat; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain and discard marinade from lamb. Place lamb fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2-1/4 to 3 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium, a thermometer should read 140° for medium; medium-well, 145°), basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Facts :
GREEN OLIVE, LEMON, AND GARLIC-ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH POTATOES AND PAN GRAVY
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- With a vegetable peeler remove zest from lemon and reserve lemon. Pit olives. In a food processor finely chop zest, olives, garlic, and parsley with 2 tablespoons oil.
- Peel potatoes and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. In a large flameproof roasting pan toss potatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Arrange lamb on potatoes and with the tip of a sharp small knife cut small slits all over lamb. Rub olive mixture over lamb, pushing it into slits. Halve reserved lemon and squeeze juice over lamb. Season lamb with salt and pepper and roast with potatoes in middle of oven 20 minutes.
- Reduce temperature to 350°F.
- Roast lamb and potatoes, loosening potatoes from pan with a metal spatula and turning them occasionally, 1 hour more, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 135°F. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let stand while making gravy. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and keep warm.
- Make gravy:
- In a cup with your fingers blend together flour and butter. Add wine and water to roasting pan and deglaze pan over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in flour mixture, whisking until incorporated, and simmer gravy, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. With a slotted spoon remove any potato pieces from gravy.
- Garnish lamb with lemon halves and olive branches and serve with gravy and potatoes.
BOILED LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON-CAPER SAUCE
Provided by Molly O'Neill
Categories dinner, project, main course
Time 3h30m
Yield 8 serving
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Have the butcher cut off the end of the bone of the leg so that it will fit in a large kettle. Place the leg and cut-off bone portion in a large kettle. Add the onion, carrots, celery, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt and cover with cold water. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer, covered, until very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the lamb leg. Strain the stock, measure out 1 cup and reserve the rest for another use. Discard the vegetables.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan set over medium heat. Slowly stir in the flour, continuing to stir until no lumps remain. Slowly stir in the hot milk and 1 cup of hot stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the capers, lemon juice and cayenne and cook 1 more minute. Season to taste and stir in the parsley.
- To serve, carve the leg into thin slices. Reheat the sauce over low heat if necessary and serve over the lamb slices.
BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH LEMON
Many of us had our earliest experiences with braised foods not at the pricey restaurants that have recently rediscovered their appeal but at the Greek diners that never forgot it. So it's not surprising that I associate braised lamb shanks with egg-lemon sauce, a Greek staple. But when I set about to recreate this standard dish I found the sauce superfluous. Though a slow-cooked pot of braised lamb shanks and root vegetables becomes so sweet that it begs for something to counter it, it is also so rich that the thick sauce (a primitive form of béarnaise, really) is overkill. Better, it seems to me, is to finish the braised shanks with what you might call lemon-lemon sauce, using both a lemon's zest and a lemon's juice. That little touch converts this dish from a delicious but perhaps one-dimensional stew to something more, a braise that may never look particularly elegant but tastes that way.
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories dinner, weekday, soups and stews, steaks and chops, main course
Time 2h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Put oil in a large, deep skillet or casserole that can be covered later, and turn heat to medium-high. Add shanks, sprinkling them with salt and pepper. When pieces are deeply browned on one side, add thyme, garlic, onion, half the celery and half the carrots, and more salt and pepper to skillet. Continue to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add wine, and let mixture bubble for about a minute; cover and adjust heat so that mixture simmers steadily. Cook for about an hour.
- Add remaining vegetables to pan; zest lemon, and add zest as well. Continue to cook until lamb is very tender and vegetables soft, another 30 to 45 minutes. (You can prepare dish up to this point in advance; let sit for a few hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.)
- When lamb is done, juice lemon, and add juice to sauce. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve, garnished with parsley.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1137, UnsaturatedFat 32 grams, Carbohydrate 48 grams, Fat 61 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 76 grams, SaturatedFat 26 grams, Sodium 2115 milligrams, Sugar 8 grams
ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON, GARLIC, AND ROSEMARY
The longer the lamb marinates in the seasoning paste, the better flavor you'll have. Anywhere from 1 to 24 hours will work, but overnight is best. Slice the leftovers for pita stuffed sandwiches topped with tabbouleh.From the book "Mad Hungry," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books).
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Lamb Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place the chopped lemon, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor. A blender can also be used, if done in batches. If you have neither, finely chop all ingredients together.
- Open up the lamb and lay it flat. Spread and massage the lemon paste evenly over the inside and outside of the lamb. Place in a baking dish and cover, or in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight to marinate, turning occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. Place the lamb on a rack in a foil-lined roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Place the meat in the oven and after 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 425 degrees. Roast for 45 minutes, or until medium rare, 140 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Allow the meat to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving.
Tips for a Perfect Italian Leg of Lamb with Lemon Sauce
- Choose a high-quality leg of lamb: Look for a leg that is firm and has good marbling. This will ensure that the lamb is tender and flavorful.
- Marinate the lamb overnight: Marinating the lamb in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs will help to tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor.
- Roast the lamb at a high temperature: Roasting the lamb at a high temperature will help to create a crispy crust and a juicy interior.
- Let the lamb rest before carving: Allow the lamb to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. This will help the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful dish.
- Serve the lamb with a flavorful sauce: A lemon sauce is a classic accompaniment to lamb. Other options include a mint sauce, a red wine sauce, or a garlic sauce.
Conclusion
Italian leg of lamb with lemon sauce is a delicious and elegant dish that is perfect for a special occasion. By following these tips, you can be sure that your lamb will be cooked to perfection and that your guests will be impressed. Buon Appetito!
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