Ingredients: a leg of lamb weighing about 7 pounds 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and quartered 1 large bay leaf, crumbled 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt 1 tablespoon paprika (preferably the Hungarian sweet rose paprika) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled, halved crosswise, then each half quartered lengthwise 4 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered 1 cup vinho verde or other dry white wine Directions:1. Trim excess fat from the lamb; set lamb aside. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic, bay leaf, salt, paprika, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the oil to paste; blend in the remaining tablespoon of oil and rub the paste all over the lamb. Place in a large shallow roasting pan and let stand 1 hour at room temperature. 2. Twenty five minutes before you`re ready to roast the lamb, preheat the oven to very hot (450 F.). Roast the lamb uncovered for 20 minutes; reduce the oven heat to moderate (350 F.), add the potatoes and onions to the roasting pan, pour the wine over the lamb, and roast uncovered 1 1/2 hours, stirring the vegetables every half hour and basting the lamb with the pan drippings. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Transfer the leg to large platter, wreathe with the vegetables, and carve at table. Pass the pan drippings in a heated sauceboat. |