Sephardic-Style Leg of Lamb

Editor’s note: Sephardic Jews fled from Spain and Portugal due to religious persecution, not to the Iberian Peninsula as noted in the video.

En español

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 4-5 pounds, leg of lamb
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 7 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• ½ cup (4 ounces) white wine

See also: More recipes from Hispanic cooking expert Denisse Oller.

Sephardi-style leg of lamb — Photo by Marisa Zanganeh | Props by Nina Mason

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425° F

1. Using a sharp knife, cover the meat with incisions. Rub the meat with the juice of 2 lemons.

2. Mix together the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the lamb. Place slices of one lemon on top of meat, cover and let rest in refrigerator overnight (optional) or a minimum of one hour.

3. Remove from refrigerator and, if necessary, remove excess marinade. Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook at 425° F for 30 minutes.

4. Lower temperature to 325° F and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes per pound. If the pan begins to dry out, add some white wine to keep it wet.

5. When the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145° F, remove it from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

6. Garnish with remaining lemon slices and some rosemary sprigs.

You may also like: Lidia Bastianich on the Marriage of Food and Wine.