Lamb With Herb Paste and Spinach
- 1 5-to-7-pound leg of lamb, preferably at room temperature, shank removed if necessary
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 anchovies, optional
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- Salt
- 2 cups coarse bread crumbs, preferably fresh
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons raisins or currants
- 1 pound spinach, chopped
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees .
- Remove as much of the surface fat as is practical from the lamb.
- Combine the parsley, dill, oil, anchovies and garlic in a food processor (if youre not using the anchovies, add some salt).
- Puree, adding a little water if necessary.
- Rub the lamb with this mixture.
- Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan with about 1/2 cup of water.
- Roast for 30 minutes, then check; if the lamb threatens to burn, turn the heat down to 350 degrees ; otherwise leave it at 425 degrees .
- If the bottom dries out (the rendering lamb fat should keep it moist), add a little more water.
- After about 1 hour (total), check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
- When it reaches 130 for medium rare (125 for very rare) in its thickest part (check it in several places), its done.
- Total cooking time will be less than 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove and let it rest.
- Pour off and reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and put the pan over a burner (or two, if it fits better).
- Toast the bread crumbs over low heat, stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper until theyre lightly browned.
- Remove; add another couple of tablespoons of the fat to the pan.
- Add the pine nuts, raisins and spinach and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach is very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Carve the lamb and serve it on a bed of spinach, sprinkled with the bread crumbs.
lamb, parsley, dill, extra virgin olive oil, anchovies, garlic, salt, bread crumbs, freshly ground black pepper, nuts, raisins, spinach
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017286 (may not work)