Last weekend we celebrated Easter with family in Ohio. My mother-in-law treated us to a lovely Easter lunch of marinated, butterflied, grilled leg of lamb, a recipe from Tyler Florence. Suggested sides of lemony hummus and green salad help to keep this a light Spring dish.
I loved it!
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 1/2 pound) boneless leg of lamb, butterflied
1 bunch mache
1 bunch mint, leaves only
2 scallions, sliced thin
Lemony Chickpea Puree, recipe follows
Directions:
To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, dried and fresh oregano, thyme, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Pat the lamb dry and place it into a shallow platter. Season it well with salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 the vinaigrette over the lamb and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Heat the grill or grill pan and oil it lightly. Remove the lamb from the marinade and grill for about 15 to 20 minutes per side for medium-rare. (Adjust the time accordingly for other degrees of doneness.) Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve into thin slices.
Toss the mache, mint leaves, and scallions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dress the salad with about 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and mix well. Place the lamb onto a serving board. To serve, spread the Lemony Chickpea Puree over the lamb and put the greens on top of the puree.
Lemony Chickpea Puree:
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
3 lemons, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, for garnish
Drain and rinse chickpeas and put them into a saucepan. Cover with cold water by 2 inches; add the bay leaf and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer beans until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
Put cooked chickpeas into a food processor or blender. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth; add some of the reserved cooking liquid to thin, if needed. Serve on top of the Grilled Marinated Lamb or put into a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and the parsley.
Yield: 4 cups
Cooks Note:
We used canned garbanzo beans (1 28 oz. can), which worked well and saved on the soaking overnight step.
As always, if you try it and like it, please do let me know!
Until next time,
