Roast Leg of Lamb With Anchovies and Shallots
- 1 6- to 8-pound semi-boned leg of lamb
- 2 cans flat anchovies, with their oil
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic
- Freshly ground pepper
- 20 large shallots in their skins
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Lamb, beef or veal bones (about 3 to 4)
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 sprigs parsley
- 1 bottle dry white wine
- 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, with their juice
- 1 bay leaf
- Two days in advance.
- Pat the lamb dry with paper towels.
- Mash the anchovies with two tablespoons olive oil and the oil from their cans into a paste and spread the mixture over the lamb.
- Cut the garlic into slivers.
- Make small incisions under the skin of the lamb and insert slivers of garlic into them.
- Sprinkle the lamb with pepper, wrap in foil and refrigerate.
- A day in advance.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Roast the bones for 30 minutes or until browned.
- Add the vegetables and cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Put the bones and the vegetables in a large stock pot and add two quarts water, the parsley, wine, tomatoes and bay leaf.
- Simmer, uncovered, for two hours.
- Strain the stock into a clean container and refrigerate, discarding the vegetables.
- The following day, skim off the fat from the stock and discard.
- Boil the stock down to one cup.
- Set aside.
- On the day of the dinner.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place the shallots and two tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan.
- Place the lamb on a rack on top.
- Roast for about 15 minutes a pound depending on how well done you like it (it is usually best served pink), about two-and-a-half hours altogether.
- Heat the sauce in a small saucepan.
- When the lamb is cooked, remove to a heated platter.
- Remove the shallots with tongs and place them around the lamb.
- Decorate with sprigs of rosemary.
- Pour off the fat from the roasting juices.
- Add the cooking juices to the sauce.
- Bring to boil, correct seasoning and serve separately in a sauce boat.
lamb, flat anchovies, olive oil, garlic, freshly ground pepper, shallots, rosemary, beef, carrots, onion, stalks celery, parsley, white wine, italian plum tomatoes, bay leaf
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8560 (may not work)