Leg of Lamb Gascon Style
- 1 3-pound leg of lamb
- 8 garlic cloves, halved
- 2 2-ounce cans anchovy fillets, packed in oil
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup rendered duck fat
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 medium-size carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium-size onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium-size white turnip, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a sharp knife, make 16 small incisions in the leg of lamb, and slide the garlic halves into them.
- Make 12 or more small incisions between the fat and the flesh of the lamb, and slide 1 anchovy into each, using the contents of 1 can.
- The anchovies should stay near the surface of the meat.
- Sprinkle the lamb thoroughly with pepper.
- Heat the duck fat over high heat in a heavy oven-proof pan large enough to hold the lamb.
- Quickly sear the meat on all sides, then place in the oven.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- While the lamb is roasting, make anchovy butter.
- Remove the anchovies from the remaining can, and drain well.
- Rinse under cold running water, and pat dry.
- Place the anchovies in the bowl of a food processor, and chop finely.
- Add the butter to the bowl, and blend well to form a smooth cream.
- Set aside until ready to use.
- When the lamb has roasted for 30 minutes, add the carrot, onion and turnip pieces to the pan, scattering them around the lamb.
- Roast for another 20 minutes for medium rare, 30 minutes for medium.
- Remove the meat from the oven, and let rest in a warm place.
- Discard the fat from the pan.
- Deglaze with the red wine, and reduce the liquid by half over high heat.
- Pass the sauce through a fine sieve, extracting all the juices from the vegetables with the back of a spoon.
- Discard the solids.
- Return the sauce to a saucepan and reheat.
- Whip in the anchovy butter, a little at a time, until it is well incorporated.
- Slice the lamb and serve with the sauce on the side.
- Potatoes roasted in duck fat go well with this dish.
lamb, garlic, anchovy, freshly ground black pepper, butter, carrot, onion, white, red wine
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11530 (may not work)