Ingredients
- 1 (8 to 10-pound) leg of lamb, boned*, reserving bones
- Kosher salt
- 8 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Extra-virgin olive oil
For the veggies:
- 1 lemon, cut in 1/2
- 12 baby artichokes
- 2 bulbs fennel, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 pounds red bliss potatoes, about 20, cut into quarters
- 10 whole garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 bottle dry white wine
- 1 bundle thyme, about 10 sprigs tied together with string
- 5 bay leaves
Directions
*Note: You might not feel comfortable buying a big piece of meat and then boning it out yourself. That's ok. Have your butcher do it, but keep the bone. You paid for it. Have the butcher separate the bones at the joints.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the lamb into 2 equal halves and butterfly each half. Remove any huge gobs of fat. Don't try to get it all. Fat tastes good and adds lots of moisture. Sprinkle each piece of the meat generously with salt, chopped rosemary, and sliced garlic. Drizzle the meat with olive oil. Massage the salt, rosemary, garlic and oil into the lamb. Be sure to try and get the cracks and crevices filled with the yummy tasting stuff. Roll each piece of lamb and tie with butcher twine. Sprinkle generously with salt. Reserve while you prepare the veggies.
For the vegetables:
Fill a bowl with water and squeeze the lemon into the water and add the lemon halves as well. Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichokes; stop when you get to the healthy, fresh light green looking leaves. Trim off any dark green or brown on the stem as well. Cut the in half and add to bowl of lemon water.
Remove the artichokes from the water and add with the fennel, potatoes, garlic and crushed red pepper to a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Add the wine, thyme and bay leaves.
Nestle the lamb bones in the veggie mixture and place the 2 lamb roasts on the bones.
Drizzle with olive oil and place in the preheated oven. Roast the lamb for about 20 minutes, or until brown. Baste with juices and turn the lamb over and brown on the other side for about 20 minutes. Turn the lamb back over and baste again with the juices. Rearrange the veggies if they begin to burn. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for another 60 minutes. Baste the lamb occasionally during the cooking process and add water to the pan if the liquid reduces too much.
Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Carve the lamb as desired and serve with the veggies and pan juices.
