Advertisement

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

A Good Appetite

A Faster Way to a Stunning Feast

Video
Video player loading
Roasting a boneless leg of lamb cuts the cooking time in half for this classic dinner-party dish.CreditCredit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

When it comes to choosing a large hunk of meat for a festive dinner, butterflied leg of lamb is not generally what springs to mind.

It isn’t refined or impressive, like a rack of lamb or beef tenderloin. It lacks the grand, large-scale drama of a bone-in leg of lamb or a pineapple-ringed ham.

Image
Butterflied leg of lamb will not cook evenly all the way through, delivering pieces at different stages of doneness. Consider that a bonus when you have a large crowd.Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

In fact, it’s rather messy-looking — an ungainly slab of meat made up of divots and lumps.

But don’t let its looks dissuade you. Richly flavored, tender and quick-cooking, butterflied leg of lamb is an excellent choice for any cook willing to forgo the more obvious cuts in the name of ease and speed.

You can have a butterflied leg of lamb on the table in less than 45 minutes from the moment you bring it home, seasoning it with nothing more than a mash of salt, garlic and herbs, then roasting it at high heat. It will be divine.

Add a few more ingredients and some marinating time (but not much more effort), and you will have a memorable feast.

In this recipe, I added cumin, chile and lemon zest to the usual garlic-salt-herb trifecta, which deepens the lamby flavor. If you have time to let the meat sit overnight, all the better. But even an hour makes a difference.

Then, for serving, I stir together an herb and olive oil sauce that is a bit like a salsa verde, studded with preserved lemon. If this doesn’t fit your menu, leg of lamb works with pretty much any sauce you like: aioli, tapenade, tahini sauce, yogurt sauce, pesto, chutney, relish, anchovy vinaigrette. Anything with a bold flavor and a bit of acidity to stand up to the garlicky lamb will do the job nicely.

Because of the irregularity of its shape, butterflied leg of lamb will never cook evenly all the way through, delivering pieces at different stages of doneness. Consider that a bonus if you have a mixed crowd of meat lovers, some of whom like it rare while others prefer closer to medium. This cut pleases everyone at the table all at once.

Image
To serve with the lamb, an herb and olive oil sauce studded with preserved lemon.Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Or, if everyone agrees on medium-rare, you can cut the meat into thicker and thinner pieces before roasting, pulling them out of the oven as they’re done.

Arranged on a platter in perfectly pinkish slices, it’s a stunning and satisfying meal.

Recipe: Butterflied Leg of Lamb With Lemon Salsa Verde

And to Drink ...

Roasted lamb loves good red wine, so you will have many options. With the zesty salsa verde and preserved lemon, I would probably look for a red with lively acidity rather than a soft, fruity wine. Sangiovese is a perfect place to start. Look for a good Brunello di Montalcino or Chianti Classico. Bordeaux is a classic match with roasted lamb. With this dish, I would stick with cabernet-based wines from the Médoc or Pessac-Léognan rather than easier-going, merlot-based St.-Émilions or Pomerols. Similarly, if you want a California cabernet sauvignon, look for freshness rather than fruity opulence. Other areas very much worth exploring include Rioja reservas and gran reservas, also naturals with lamb, and good, age-worthy cabernet francs from the Loire Valley. You may also consider a malbec on the firmer side of the spectrum. ERIC ASIMOV

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section D, Page 2 of the New York edition with the headline: A Faster Way to a Stunning Feast. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

Advertisement

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT