| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 5 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 45 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 4 hr 15 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- One 3-pound boneless leg of lamb
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and stems reserved
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems reserved
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems reserved
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 2 loaves sourdough bread
- Kosher salt
- Fresno Chile Mayo, recipe follows
- Fennel Brussels Sprout Slaw, recipe follows
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 red Fresno chiles
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil, plus extra for roasting chiles
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1 medium fennel bulb
- 1/4 head red cabbage
- 1/4 sweet onion (Maui or Vidalia)
- 1 pint Brussels sprouts, stalk end trimmed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
Instructions
- For the lamb: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Begin by unfolding the de-boned leg of lamb and placing in a large dish. Pour the lemon juice all over both sides of the lamb; this will help tenderize it.
- To a roasting pan, add the carrots, celery and onions.
- Place the garlic in a food processor and process until well chopped. Remove just under half of the garlic (about 4 cloves worth) and set aside for garlic butter. Add the rosemary and thyme leaves to the food processor and chop up well. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over both sides of the lamb and massage it into the meat. Tie the lamb into a nice even shape with kitchen twine, and then place on the roasting pan on top of the vegetables.
- Place in the oven and roast until desired point of doneness (internal temperature should reach 125 degrees F for medium-rare), 3 to 4 hours. When done, let rest for 12 to 15 minutes before carving into slices (against the grain) for sandwiches. Season the slices with salt before serving.
- To make the jus, place the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the reserved thyme and rosemary stems and stir. Pour in the white wine, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan, and bring to a quick boil. Stir in the chicken stock and simmer for a couple of minutes while the lamb rests. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and keep warm until serving.
- To make the garlic butter, place the reserved garlic in a small saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the butter and warm through. Cook the garlic until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes, and keep warm until just before serving.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the sourdough loaf into 1-inch-thick slices and smear each slice of bread with the garlic butter. Place in the oven until toasted, about 10 minutes.
- To assemble the sandwiches, smear each slice of bread with a little Fresno Chili Mayo on both sides then layer with a good heaping of sliced roast lamb. Top with a scoop of Fennel Brussels Sprouts Slaw and place top slice of bread on to form a sandwich. To serve, dip the sandwich in the jus.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Spread the garlic and peppers on a small roasting dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in the oven and roast the chiles until the skin blisters, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl and cover with plastic so the chiles sweat. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, and then carefully peel the skins off and remove the stems and seeds.
- In a blender, place the roasted chiles and garlic. Blend until smooth, and then add the egg yolks, lemon juice, sugar and some salt. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies. Refrigerate the chile mayo until ready to use.
- Remove the core from the fennel bulb and finely slice with a sharp knife or a mandoline. Repeat the process for the red cabbage. Finely slice the onion and the Brussels sprouts. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, sugar and lemon juice. Whisk together and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the shredded fennel, chopped fennel fronds and shredded Brussels sprouts. Mix together well, and then cover and place in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the vegetables soften and absorb the vinaigrette. Stir well before serving.
Reviews
Wow! What a great combination of flavors. Made this over Easter weekend and everyone loved it. Also made the Potato Planks.
This was the best blend of flavors, and a wonderful sandwich. The mayo is wonderful, garlic bread a perfect touch and we love the slaw on the sandwich and on the side. I like my lamb medium rare, and I cooked my lamb (3 lbs only 2 hours. Be sure to check the temp as it cooks, and it will come out wonderful, because the length of time in the recipe is much too long, as noted in a previous review. Due to the wonderful flavors, and unique recipe, I gave this 5 stars even though the timing is off.
I had some leftover lamb that I used in this sandwich so I didn’t make Guy’s recipe, although it looks scrumptious. But I did make the chile mayo and the fennel brussel sprouts slaw, then layered it all into a lovely sandwich. It was DEEELISH! The combination of the gamey lamb with the zip of the chile mayo and then the tangy slaw makes this one of the most complex and best sandwiches I have ever eaten. I’ll definitely be making this again.
I just threw $40 worth of lamb in the trash. Ya, thats right-TRASH.
The leg I TRIED making per this recipe was a 4 & 1/2 lb. leg —
So, I thought to myself, if hes doing a 3 lb. roast for 3 to 4 hrs for a “med-rare”, I should be perfectly safe @ 3 hrs for 4 & 1/2 lbs. NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
I suppose I should take the blame because I trusted the cooking directions. 250 for 3 to 4 hours????? UNLESS YOU LIKE IT WELL DONE, DONT FALL FOR IT!!!!!!
I made the herb/garlic “rub” with the addition of 1 tsp ground corriander and 1 tsp fennel pollen. The flavor was superb and I will use it on the NEXT lamb, as well as pork roasts.
However the next time I make the lamb, it will be to my prefered doneness – med-RARE!!
A WORD OF WARNING….
UNLESS YOU LIKE YOUR LAMB W-E-L-L DONE, DO NOT COOK A 3 LB. ROAST FOR THE 3 TO 4 HOURS CALLED OUT FOR. I’D START CHECKING IT @ABOUT 2 TO 2&1/2 HOURS IN FOR THE MED-RARE HE SPEAKS OF.
The leg I TRIED making per this recipe was a 4 & 1/2 lb. leg —
So, I thought to myself, if hes doing a 3 lb. roast for 3 to 4 hrs for a “med-rare”, I should be perfectly safe @ 3 hrs for 4 & 1/2 lbs. NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
I suppose I should take the blame because I trusted the cooking directions. 250 for 3 to 4 hours????? UNLESS YOU LIKE IT WELL DONE, DONT FALL FOR IT!!!!!!
I made the herb/garlic “rub” with the addition of 1 tsp ground corriander and 1 tsp fennel pollen. The flavor was superb and I will use it on the NEXT lamb, as well as pork roasts.
However the next time I make the lamb, it will be to my prefered doneness – med-RARE!!
A WORD OF WARNING….
UNLESS YOU LIKE YOUR LAMB W-E-L-L DONE, DO NOT COOK A 3 LB. ROAST FOR THE 3 TO 4 HOURS CALLED OUT FOR. I’D START CHECKING IT @ABOUT 2 TO 2&1/2 HOURS IN FOR THE MED-RARE HE SPEAKS OF.