For a Sunday Supper or a Special Occasion This Fall, Roast Succulent Lamb with Apples and Root Vegetables

My good friend Craig Rogers, who owns Border Springs Farm in southeastern Virginia, introduced me to his lamb about 10 years ago. He left academia to raise lamb the way Thomas Jefferson did. His lamb is the best here in America - subtle, sweet, and succulent. For those of you who do not like lamb because it is too strong or gamey, give Border Springs lamb a try. Order it directly from Craig through his website.

I love using a cast iron to sear the lamb. It caramelizes the fat and forms a delicious crust. The greens slather is like a chimichurri sauce; it’s quite simple and gives a fresh, flavorful, and biting contrast to the succulent meat.

I love to serve this for a really nice Sunday meal when you want to feel cared for. I also love to serve it for dinner parties as it looks impressive to guests. When I roast and serve this dish in a Smithey Ironware Cast Iron, everyone comments. It’s a really nice way to provide a comfortable yet sophisticated feeling on the table.

SERVING SIZE: 8 PREP TIME: 20-25 mins COOKING TIME: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

For the lamb and vegetables

• 1 6-lb. semi-boneless leg of Border Springs lamb, room temperature

• 3 tablespoons, plus ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt, divided

• 2 tablespoons, plus ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided

• 1 cup carrot tops, roughly chopped

• 1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

• ½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

• 7 whole garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 4 Granny Smith apples, stemmed and cut in half (do not remove seeds)

• 1 14-ounce package frozen pearl onions

• 10-12 carrots, scrubbed, tops removed (cut in half lengthwise if large)

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• ½ cup water

Directions

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven with a second rack 2 inches underneath and preheat to 350°F.

2. Place the lamb on a large cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, score the fat side of the lamb every 1-1½ inches about ¼-inch deep – just enough to cut through the fat and into the meat. Run the knife in the opposite direction to create an even, square cross-hatch pattern.

3. Season both sides of the lamb with 3 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons pepper. Let rest on the cutting board while you make the herb slather.

4. Add the carrot tops, parsley, mint, garlic, ¾ cup olive oil and lemon juice to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Blend 30-45 seconds until it comes together and forms a smooth yellow-green sauce. Scrape the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining salt and pepper. Blend for another 15 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

5. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss the apples, onions and carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the dried thyme. Season with the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

6. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Add the lamb, fat side up, to the skillet, then slather 1/3 cup of the sauce over the top and let the bottom sear 4-5 minutes. Flip the roast over, fat side down, slather with another 1/3 cup of the sauce, and sear 4-5 minutes more. Flip the roast over again, fat side up. Carefully transfer to the oven.

7. Add the sheet pan with the apples and vegetables to the rack under the roast.

8. Roast for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the lamb hits 140°F on a meat thermometer. Using a large spoon, baste the lamb every 15 minutes with the pan juices.

9. Remove the roast and the apples with vegetables from oven, tent with foil and let both rest 10-15 minutes.

10. Place the apples, carrots and onions around the lamb. Slather the remaining 1/3 cup of the sauce on top. Serve in the skillet.

11. Use a sharp carving knife to slice the roast very thinly (less than 1/8").

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