Christmas Eve Lamb
September 26, 2007 by top8free
This is my improvisation of Sally Schneider’s improvisation of Paula Wolfert’s recipe. Phew. The lamb roasts slowly for seven hours, making it a perfect holiday meal, because you can prep it in the morning and then forget about it until dinner time ans spend time with your guests.
My version is alcohol-free, and therefore lower in histamine than the two originals. This made a stunning main dish that we served to friends last Christmas Eve in a candlelit dinner — the circuit for the kitchen, living room, and dining room blew out with a spectacular shower of blue sparks a few hours before dinner, necessitating a run out to the store to buy a bunch of candles before dinner.
We served this with roasted potatoes and Lidia Bastianich’s Skillet Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Sauce. A pitcher of the rich lamb juices thick with garlic cloves was all that was needed to complete the meal.
1 five-pound leg of lamb, tied into a compact shape (have the butcher trim off the shank bone)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups safe vegetable broth
5 heads of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons honey or molasses
3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Eight hours before dinner time, salt the lamb and place it in the fridge for an hour. Meanwhile, have a friend or family member help you pull apart and peel the garlic.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish or a large frying pan on the stove. Brown the lamb for five minutes on each side, 20 minutes total. Pour off the fat. (If you used a frying pan, transfer the lamb to a large roasting pan at this point.) Pour in the vegetable broth, honey, garlic and thyme. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and press the lid down over the foil to seal.
Roast until the lamb is fork-tender, about seven hours, turning once in the middle.
Transfer the lamb to a platter and cover with the foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Pour the juices into a cup and degrease. Boil for a few minutes to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavor. Pull apart the lamb with a fork and serve with juices and garlic cloves on the side.
