Lamb and herbs are universal symbols of spring and renewal and are well-suited to being used as part of a Passover or May 1 Greek Easter dinner. Use a bone-in leg of lamb or for faster cooking, lamb that has been de-boned and butterflied, which means opened like a book. The salsa verde in this recipe makes for a great way to use up leftover herbs from a Passover Seder. Try out a mix of green things — celery leaves, thyme, snipped chives, garlic chives and so on.
Amelia Saltsman’s Roasted Leg of Lamb with Salsa Verde
Ingredients
1 (5 lb) leg of lamb, bone-in (or 3 to 4 pounds, butterflied)
1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves only (or use a mix of herbs and alliums to equal 1 cup)
1 cup olive oil
1 tin oil-packed anchovies
6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup capers, chopped
1 to 2 lemons, to taste
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
A generous pinch of red pepper flakes, such as Espelette from Roan Mills
Instructions
Prepare the lamb: Make 8 to 12 shallow slashes using a knife on the surface of the lamb. Season the lamb generously on all sides with salt and pepper and transfer to a large roasting pan.
Prepare the salsa verde: Chop enough parsley leaves (or a mix of herbs) to make 1 lightly packed cup. Heat olive oil in small sauce pan over medium-low heat until it thins and shimmers. Remove from heat. Add the anchovies and mash them with a fork until they dissolve in the warm oil. Stir in the parsley, garlic, capers and red pepper flakes. Zest 1 of the lemons into the sauce, along with the juice of half a lemon. The salsa should be slightly tangy; if not, add more lemon juice, to taste. You should have about 1¾ cups of salsa verde. If not using immediately, store the salsa at room temperature away from sunlight.
Marinate the lamb: Spoon out a ½ cup of the salsa verde and slather evenly over all surfaces of the lamb, making sure to rub the sauce into the slashes. Cover the meat and let stand in a cool place for 1 hour, or in the refrigerator up to 6 hours. Be sure to bring the meat to room temperature before roasting.
Roast the lamb: Preheat oven to 425ºF degrees. Roast the lamb (12 minutes per pound for rare, or 15 for medium), turning once to cook evenly. Remove the meat to a warmed platter, tent with foil and let stand before slicing, 10 minutes for a butterflied leg, or 15 to 20 minutes for a bone-in roast.
Prepare the jus: Add a little water or wine to the roasting pan and deglaze over medium-low heat, scraping up brown bits. Strain into a bowl and skim off fat. Taste the jus and add lemon, water, salt, or fresh pepper as needed.
To serve: Pour the jus around the roast lamb and pass around with the remaining salsa verde.
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