Leg of Lamb with Rice & Onion Puree
Submitted by rocky2
Garlic-studded roast leg of lamb on a bed of sliced onions and thyme, finished with a creamy onion-rice puree made from the roasting pan drippings. A Sunday-dinner centerpiece.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsA Sunday-supper roast leg of lamb done the French country way: garlic slivers pushed into holes poked through the meat, the lamb roasted on a bed of sliced onions and thyme that catches every drop of rendered fat and juice, then those onions blended with cooked rice and cream into a savory puree served alongside.
The bed of onions is the clever architectural move. Ten sliced onions might seem like a lot, but they collapse during the roast and soak up everything the lamb drips: fat, garlic, thyme, meat juices. By the time the lamb is resting, the onions are meltingly soft and deeply flavored, ready to be scraped into a food processor with a couple of cups of cooked rice, cream, and a hit of fresh nutmeg for a lumpy-smooth puree that works as side dish, sauce, and starch all at once.
The two-stage roast is a French technique worth learning. Start fat-side-down for the first hour so the fat bastes the meat from below while the top forms a crust. Flip fat-side-up for the final 20 to 30 minutes to render the cap and brown the surface. Twenty minutes per pound brings you to medium-rare internal temperature.
Chef Tips
- Stud the lamb at least an hour before roasting so the garlic flavor penetrates the meat, not just sits on top.
- Use a meat thermometer. Medium-rare lamb is 130°F (54°C) internal, medium is 140°F (60°C). Overcooking turns leg of lamb chewy fast.
- Rest the lamb 15 minutes, tented loosely with foil. Slicing early loses all the juice to the cutting board.
- Slice against the grain in thin pieces. Leg of lamb has long muscle fibers that go rubbery if cut with the grain.
Variations
- Stud with rosemary sprigs alongside the garlic for more aromatic depth.
- Add peeled whole shallots and carrots to the onion bed for a full one-pan dinner.
- Serve with mint sauce, chimichurri, or a simple red wine reduction alongside the onion-rice puree.
Ingredients
Directions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 400℉ (200℃).
Trim excess fat from the outside of the leg, leaving only a thin layer.
Using a small knife, poke holes in the meat and stuff in slivers of garlic.
Rub the surface of the lamb with olive oil.
Mound onions and thyme in the middle of a roasting pan.
Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper and place it, fat side down, on the onions.
Place in the oven, reduce heat to 350℉ (180℃) F and roast 1 hour.
Turn the lamb fat side up and return to the oven.
Roast another 20-to-30 minutes for medium-rare or about 20 minutes per pound.
Remove the pan from the oven and place the lamb on a cutting board.
Let rest 15 minutes before carving.
Scrape the onions into a food processor, add the rice, cream, nutmeg and desired salt, and pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until a lumpy smooth purée is attained.
When it’s time to serve dinner, transfer the purée to a vegetable dish.
Slice the lamb and arrange on a meat platter.
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