Recipe of the Week
Roast Leg of Lamb with Tarragon-Mint Butter
yield: Makes 8 servings
A spring herb butter makes the lamb fresh and lively. Be sure to reserve 1/4 cup of the butter for flavoring the Garland of Spring Vegetables.
Ingredients
Herb butter:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4 teaspoons tarragon vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
For lamb:
1 6 1/2-pound leg of lamb with bone, well trimmed
1 tablespoon 1-inch-long very thin strips orange peel (orange part only)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse kosher salt
2 cups dry red wine
1 1/3 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
Fresh tarragon and mint sprigs (for garnish)
Preparation
For herb butter:
Stir butter, tarragon, mint, tarragon vinegar, and 2 teaspoons coarse salt in medium bowl until well blended. Transfer 1/4 cup herb butter to small bowl and reserve for vegetables. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover both bowls and chill. Bring medium bowl of herb butter to room temperature before using.
For lamb:
Using small sharp knife, make 1-inch-deep slits all over lamb. Insert 3 or 4 orange peel strips into each slit. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Enclose lamb in plastic wrap and chill.
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Heat oil in very large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb with coarse salt and pepper. Add lamb to skillet; cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to roasting pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons herb butter. Roast lamb 15 minutes. Brush again with 2 tablespoons herb butter.
Reduce temperature to 350°F. Continue to roast lamb until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 135°F to 140°F for medium-rare, about 55 minutes. Transfer lamb to platter; reserve pan. Tent lamb loosely with foil; let rest 30 minutes.
Spoon fat off any juices in roasting pan. Place pan over 2 burners on high heat. Add wine and broth and bring to boil, whisking to scrape up browned bits. Boil until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining herb butter and grated orange peel. Season sauce to taste with coarse salt and pepper.
Spoon vegetables around lamb on platter; garnish with fresh herb sprigs. Serve with sauce.