Leg of Lamb with Tomatoes and Garlic

Christmas dinner at my house usually involves some kind of lamb dish, since all four five of us love lamb. While catching up on Gossip Girl, my sister and I flipped through our Gourmet Cookbook to find something suitable. We found two recipes that we really liked, and decided to visit the grocery store and make our decision based on what kind of lamb was available. Leg of lamb it was!

If you are looking for something easy and festive for New Years Eve dinner, this might be a good recipe for you to try out. This is probably the easiest lamb recipe I have ever seen, requiring very little effort but resulting in a juicy, succulent, medium rare lamb.

While cooking away, we put together a holiday charcuterie platter to nibble on. Prosciutto, sweet coppa, oregano salami, and serrano ham...hom nom nom! Oh, I also found La Tur cheese, and picked up a goats milk and raw cows milk cheese as well. I found that this style of serrano ham was much better than the prosciutto. Next time I am at Bedford cheese, I will pick up some serrano ham to compare.

The recipe roasted the lamb alongside four heads of garlic. Not for True Blood fans, I guess? 

{Medium-rare perfection!}

Leg of Lamb with Tomatoes and Garlic, recipe adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 (3-3 1/2 lb.) boneless leg of lamb
• 4 heads garlic, papery outer skin discarded
• 2 fresh rosemary springs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

Arrange tomatoes in a 17 1/2 by 12 inch roasting pan and place the lamb on top. Arrange garlic around lamb. Lay the rosemary springs on top of the lamb, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil. 

Roast the lamb for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast the lamb, basting the garlic with the remaining olive oil every 20 minutes to keep it from drying out. Roast the lamb until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb is about 135 degrees for medium-rare, about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours more. 

Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let it stand loosely covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Stir tomato mixture and transfer to a sauceboat. 

Carve lamb and serve with tomato sauce and roasted garlic.