Looking for something different for your next Easter menu? Lamb is the answer. Listen to this menu: Roasted leg of lamb with lemongrass, mint sauce, roasted garlicky asparagus, pineapple fried rice, and finished with a coconut cream tart. Doesn't that sound delicious?
Typically, rosemary is the known herb for lamb, but I like to change it up a bit by adding a Thai angle. Because lamb tends to be somewhat gamey, it needs a strong flavor herb to complement it with. Lemongrass has a very fibrous stalk with a lemony flavor. The stalk is usually the only usable part for cooking. You may preserve the leaves for stock later. It is quite common nowadays to find lemongrass in your produce isle, so this recipe should be easy to put together.
Roasted Leg of Lamb with Lemongrass
Note: If you use other cut of lambs such as chops or racks, I recommend grilling or sautéing instead of slow roasting.
1 whole, bone-in leg of lamb (7-8 pounds)
1 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 large head of garlic, chopped
6 lemongrass stalks (2 chopped, 4 cut in half lengthwise)
3 tbsp. olive oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim excess fat off the leg of lamb. In a small mixing bowl, mix salt, pepper, garlic, and chopped lemongrass. Rub olive oil all over the lamb, then rub salt mixture on lamb. Place the meatier side of the lamb up, on top of lemongrass stalks in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees, roast for 1 hr. 15 min. to 1 hr. 45 min., or until meat thermometer reads 125–130 degrees for medium rare, or 135–145 degrees for medium. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil, and let stand for 15-20 minutes before carving. Serves 8-10.
