Recipe of the week: Roast lamb: The new rite of spring

No roast tastes better than a leg of lamb, said Russ Parsons in the Los Angeles Times. The compelling flavor is similar to that of beef, “but with a distinctive, gamey note thrown in. The aroma is entrancing.” Increasingly, Americans are learning to enjoy a roast lamb in the spring, much as they celebrate in the fall with a turkey dinner. When studded with sprigs of rosemary, garlic, and anchovy fillets, this goldencrusted dish is simply sublime.

Recipe of the week

Roast Leg of Lamb With Rosemary, Garlic, and Anchovies

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Note: Bone-in lamb legs are available at most major supermarkets and butcher shops. Call ahead to request that the hip bone be removed and to have the tip of the leg meat removed from the bone, or “frenched.”

6 cloves garlic

7 (3- to 4-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary

5 anchovy fillets

1 (5- to 6-lb) semi-boneless, frenched leg of lamb

2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 tbsp olive oil

Cut garlic “studs” by slicing cloves thickly and then chopping the widest slices in half or into thirds. Separate the rosemary sprigs into individual bunches. Cut the anchovy fillets into small (roughly 1/4-inch) pieces.

Stud the lamb; starting at the wide, hip end, poke a small, sharp knife about 1/2-inch deep into the leg. Give the knife a twist to create an opening. Press a piece of anchovy fillet into the hole. Next, press a rosemary sprig into the hole. Finally, press the garlic stud into the hole, securing the rosemary. A tuft of rosemary and a tip of garlic may protrude

from the hole.

Repeat at regular, 1-1/2- to 2-inch intervals for the length and breadth of the leg, except those places where the bone is so close to the surface you can’t insert the knife. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper,

and rub with olive oil. Leave on a platter at room temperature for at least an hour before roasting. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. When the oven is ready, roast for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cook 75 to 90 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted deep into the leg reaches 130 degrees. Remove lamb to carving board and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Serves 8 to 12.