Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb with Mint Gremolata

Close your eyes. Fall in love. Stay there.

~Rumi~

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I have such fond memories of being a kid, watching my dad dye Easter eggs, the way his mother taught him when he was young in their little Egyptian village – with simmering pots filled with the natural dye of beets, onion peels, turmeric and bay leaves. After the eggs were dyed, then came the hunt, my favorite part of the day. This little ritual tapped into something deep and primal in me. It felt as if I was born to do this. My father, a minister, would often say, Seek and ye shall find, and then off I went. He hid them well and I relished in the challenge. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as finding that which eludes us, especially if it has eluded us for a very long time. It was not uncommon to find eggs hidden on our hillside, months later. Growing up, it was not the traditional Easter ham my parents would have roasting in the oven, but instead, to some of my friends horror, leg of lamb.  Yep, those sweet little babies. By the time I fully understood what I was eating, it was too late,  I acquired the taste for it early on. To this day, the smell of lamb wafting through the house, brings me back to those happy times together as a family.

This leg of lamb recipe is tender and moist on the inside, with a flavorful savory herb crust.  It can be made ahead, and placed in the oven right before Easter dinner. It starts with a boneless leg of lamb that has been butterflied. A savory paste of herbs – rosemary, sage, or thyme, blended with garlic cloves, salt and olive oil, is rubbed all over the inside of the leg, and then it’s rolled up and tied together with cooking twine. The savory herb mixture is then rubbed all over the outside, to create that delicious crust. In the oven it goes, over a bed of roasting vegetables, for about one hour. After its cooked to your desired temperature, let it rest a good 20 minutes, then slice it thinly. Spoon the tasty mint-caper sauce over top and serve it with the roasted veggies. And the leftovers make delicious lamb sandwiches.

The first step is making the herb paste. Two to three savory herbs like sage, rosemary  or thyme, blended in a food processor with flat leaf parsley, garlic and  olive oil. It doesn’t need to be smooth.

I use this flavorful herb paste on whole roasted beef tenderloin as well. Just rub it very liberally all over, and let it sit over night in the fridge before roasting.

Try to purchase a pasture raised, grass fed, locally sourced lamb if possible. Ask your butcher to butterfly it. One you unwrap your lamb, make sure to pat it dry. It makes the whole process easier.

For example this piece had a huge sort of lump one side, and as you can see below, so I butterflied it to create a somewhat even base.

Each one will be a little different. Just try to open it up so you can roll it. Generously sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper.

Spread the herb mixture on the inside, saving some for the outside too.

I usually remove some of this outer fat. This is a personal preference. Some people leave the fat on like I did here this time, as an experiment, and it is also good– but I prefer it with most of the fat trimmed off. The herb rub will keep it moist. If you leave the fat on, score it a bit so the rub gets into the cuts.

Wrap it up with kitchen twine, at one inch intervals.

Rub the outside with the remaining herb mix.

A few options for roasting : 1. you can roast the lamb on a bed of veggies (this will take longer to cook). 2. you could roast on a rack, set over a pan, to create an nice crust on the bottom as well. ( this cooks faster) 3. Some people also place the roast directly on their oven rack with a sheet pan below on a lower rack, to increase air flow on all sides of the roast. This does produce a really nice outcome, crispy crust on all sides, faster cooking times- but then you have to wash your oven rack. Which, if its like mine, can be a pain. So I just roast it over the bed of veggies. The lamb juices drip into the veggies and add great flavor.

Place the lamb over top, and in a hot oven for the first 15 minutes, then turn the heat down. Take it out when it registers between 125-135 F. Remove the lamb, let it rest 20 minutes, and let the veggies continue cooking if they need it, turning the oven up a bit.

Serve with the mint caper sauce.