Herb-Roasted Lamb Makes the Cut for Easter

Spring makes flavorful main-dish; after the big dinner slice any extra roast for pita pocket sandwiches.

I get a lot of questions about food –how to cook, what to cook, what’s for dinner and what’s on my family menu for the holiday of the month.

One of the most consistent threads in these chats is the cook’s time. Keeping an eye on the cook’s time management I often look for dishes, particularly around holidays, that lend themselves to the “cook once, eat two or three times” mantra. For Easter I’m making Herb-Roasted Lamb. After the big dinner the roast will morph into Pita Pockets filled with slices of lamb, tomatoes, and shredded lettuce dressed with prepared cucumber dressing.

 This recipe was inspired by a roast in the Chicago Tribune—I made a few adjustments for the family’s taste and they agreed it couldn’t be better. Now it’s one of the prime choices on the list for holiday meals.

HERB-ROASTED LAMB

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/4 cup pitted chopped oil-cured olives

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

2 teaspoons each finely chopped rosemary, and thyme,

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 10 to 12-lb. semi-boneless leg of lamb

In 1-quart bowl, combine olive oil parsley, chives and olives. Stir in garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining herbs and seasonings, mixing until blended.

Place lamb in foil-lined roasting pan on a flat rack. Rub olive-herb mixture generously over lamb, coating well. Let lamb stand at room temperature 45 minutes. Bake at 400°F, 15 minutes. REDUCE heat to 350°F, continue cooking 50 to 60 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of roast registers 150°F Remove from oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let roast stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Note: Add washed sliced potatoes to roasting pan after reducing the heat and cooking 30 minutes.