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Even just reading this recipe, you know it’s going to be delicious. But there are some notes. In Kyiv, finding such a tender leg of lamb as Jamie suggests is rare luck - it will more likely be a leg of a fully grown sheep. Also, the instruction “ask your butcher to remove all the bones except the shank” doesn’t really work here, so we lose the natural cavity for stuffing, and the cooking time increases. Still, the meat turns out wonderfully flavorful.
- 1 leg of lamb (or mutton)
- 1 head of garlic
- 2–3 handfuls of fresh herbs (parsley, mint, oregano or marjoram, thyme, sage — your choice)
- 3–4 slices smoked bacon (pancetta, jamón)
- 3–4 anchovy fillets
- 1 thick slice of bread
- a handful of pine nuts
- a handful of olives (green or black, sun-dried if possible)
- sea salt and black pepper
- a large bunch of fresh rosemary
- olive oil
- 1 kg potatoes (new or small ones)
- 3–4 bay leaves
- 1 bottle dry red wine
In a mortar (or small bowl), combine a few cloves of garlic, herbs, chopped bacon, olives, anchovies, nuts, and crumbled bread. Mix until fairly uniform, season with salt. If it’s too dry, add a splash of water.
If the bones have been removed (except the shank), stuff the cavity with this mixture. If not, make 3 deep cuts along the bones to form “pockets.” These cuts also help the meat near the bone cook faster and soak up the herb-anchovy flavors. Fill the pockets, season the leg with salt and pepper, rub with olive oil, and tie rosemary sprigs onto the leg with kitchen string.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (390 °F). Place the stuffed leg in the center of a parchment-lined baking tray. In a bowl, toss the potatoes (halve large ones) with 5–6 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and olive oil, and arrange around the meat. Optionally, add other root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, celery root, sweet potato, turnip), fennel, or onions.
Roast for 2.5–3 hours. After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to 170–180 °C (340–355 °F) and baste the leg and potatoes every 5–8 minutes with red wine. When done, remove from the oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes. Serve with the flavorful juices as sauce.
In a mortar (or small bowl), combine a few cloves of garlic, herbs, chopped bacon, olives, anchovies, nuts, and crumbled bread. Mix until fairly uniform, season with salt. If it’s too dry, add a splash of water.
If the bones have been removed (except the shank), stuff the cavity with this mixture. If not, make 3 deep cuts along the bones to form “pockets.” These cuts also help the meat near the bone cook faster and soak up the herb-anchovy flavors. Fill the pockets, season the leg with salt and pepper, rub with olive oil, and tie rosemary sprigs onto the leg with kitchen string.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (390 °F). Place the stuffed leg in the center of a parchment-lined baking tray. In a bowl, toss the potatoes (halve large ones) with 5–6 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and olive oil, and arrange around the meat. Optionally, add other root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, celery root, sweet potato, turnip), fennel, or onions.
Roast for 2.5–3 hours. After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to 170–180 °C (340–355 °F) and baste the leg and potatoes every 5–8 minutes with red wine. When done, remove from the oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes. Serve with the flavorful juices as sauce.
