Orange-Cranberry-Crusted Leg of Lamb

• One 6- to 8-pound bone-in leg of lamb
• 14 thin slices garlic (from 3 to 4 cloves)
• 14 very small thyme sprigs
• Slivered zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce, homemade or canned
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 small shallot, quartered
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, or a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 cup unseasoned dried bread crumbs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Trim the lamb of all but a 1/4-inch-thick layer of fat.
3. Cut fourteen 1/2-inch-deep slits all over the lamb with a small sharp knife, and insert a slice of garlic, a thyme sprig, and a sliver of orange zest into each slit.
4. Combine the cranberry sauce, grated orange zest, orange juice, maple syrup, mustard, shallot, and garam masala in a food processor and pulse a few times, until the cranberries and shallots are chopped.
5. Add the bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper to taste, and pulse until just combined.
6. Place the lamb, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
7. Spread the cranberry mixture over the top and sides of the lamb.
8. Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into the thickest part of the meat (and not touching bone) reaches 125F.
9. Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
10. (It will finish cooking to 135 to 140F for medium.)
11. Serving Suggestion
12. Transfer the lamb to a warm serving platter and surround it with fresh herb sprigs (thyme, rosemary, and parsley) and orange slices.
13. Variations
14. Seasonal: Consider using other fresh local fruits, such as blueberries or currants, in place of the cranberries.
15. Pat the crust on top of a butterflied boneless leg of lamb and grill outdoors in the summer.
16. Asian: Substitute lime for the orange juice and zest, 3/4 cup hoisin sauce for the cranberry sauce and maple syrup, and Chinese five spice powder for the garam masala.
17. Indian: Eliminate the thyme and maple syrup.
18. Substitute lemon for the orange, and mango chutney for the cranberry sauce.
19. Add 1 tablespoon curry powder.
20. Provencal: Substitute 1/2cup olive tapenade for the cranberry sauce, and lemon juice and zest for the orange.
21. Eliminate the garam masala and maple syrup.

lamb, garlic, thyme, orange, wholeberry, orange, orange juice, maple syrup, mustard, shallot, garam masala, bread crumbs, salt

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/orange-cranberry-crusted-leg-of-lamb (may not work)