Roast Leg of Lamb with Vino Cotto

Recipe and photo by Montillo Italian Foods, January 2011 all rights reserved

A simple yet absolutely scrumptious way to prepare lamb--moist with plenty of flavor.

Ingredients • 1 leg of lamb (boneless) • Kosher salt • Freshly-ground black pepper • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1/4 cup Vino Cotto • 1 teaspoon corn starch

Directions

1. Remove lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to roasting. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).

2. Coat a roasting pan and rack with non-stick spray.

3. Rinse lamb well under cold water. (NOTE: If the lamb comes in a sack made of string, do not remove it. Leave the sack on and remove when done roasting.)

4. Add extra virgin olive oil to a skillet. Over the skillet, generously season all surfaces of the lamb with salt and pepper.

5. Place the lamb in the skillet and sear all sides over medium-high heat to brown the surface. Remove from heat.

6. Transfer the lamb onto the rack inside the prepared roasting pan. Cover and roast for 25-30 minutes per pound. Using a meat thermometer, remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches between 160-165°F.

7. Remove from oven and let the roast sit for about 15 minutes before carving.

8. A few minutes before serving the lamb, add vino cotto and corn starch into a small sauce pan. Whisk together until the corn starch is mostly dissolved.

9. Over low-medium heat, continuously stir the vino cotto mixture using a stainless steel spoon. Bring to a slow boil and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat when a thin coat of vino cotto adheres to the spoon when lifted. Transfer thickened vino cotto to a gravy boat.

10. Garnish sliced lamb with drizzled vino cotto and serve.

Copyright Montillo Italian Foods 2009 - 2010