Orange Scented Boneless Leg Of Lamb Wrapped In Pastry


This is a delicious and spectacular-looking spring entree. It is a bit time consuming to prepare, but has the advantage of being put together entirely in advance - up to the point where it’s placed in the oven for final baking. The leg of lamb holds together best if the thigh bone is removed, but the end bone is left in. If, instead, the leg is entirely boned, it may benefit from being tied with kitchen string in a few places before searing - but then the string must be removed as the lamb is carved, and since the entire package will be encased in pastry, this may be a messy job. If you don’t want to watch out for bone or string at carving time, the lamb may be successfully made without any bone, and without tying - although the carving presentation is not quite as neat.

SERVES ABOUT 8

1 leg of lamb (6-7 pounds) - boned (see introductory note, above)
1 pound, puff pastry*
(*OR substitute a piecrust pastry, made with butter and shortening)
the peel (colored part only) of one large orange - divided use
1/2 cup, butter - at room temperature
2-3 teaspoons, rosemary - crushed
2 cloves, garlic - minced
2 tablespoons, vegetable oil
2 teaspoons, coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon, fresh black pepper
1 egg yolk (for egg wash)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cut the peel from about half of the orange into thin slivers. Poke the slivers into the fatty sides of the lamb meat, using the sharp tip of a knife to make slits and slide the slivers of peel into the meat. Grate (or use a zester) to remove the remaining colored part of the orange peel - you should have about 1 tablespoon of finely minced zest.

Cream the butter together with the orange zest, 1-2 teaspoons of the rosemary and the minced garlic. Pack this butter mixture into the cavity from which the thigh bone was removed. [Tie the lamb in a few places, if desired, at this point. See introductory note.] Brush the lamb all over with the vegetable oil, and rub it with the salt, pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon of rosemary.

Place the lamb on a flat rack (just to elevate it off the bottom of the pan) in a shallow roasting pan, and sear it in the (thoroughly) preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the seared lamb from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry into a rectangular shape large enough to cover the lamb. Drape the pastry over the lamb, tucking the sides underneath, but not covering the meat completely on the bottom side (it will not brown on the bottom, and will become soggy). Trim off irregular edges, and reserve them, if desired, to decorate the pastry (as described below).

Mix one tablespoon of water into the egg yolk, and brush this “egg wash” generously all over the pastry. If pastry trimmings are used to decorate, cut them into petal, leaf or other shapes, apply the cut-outs to the painted crust, then paint them with the egg wash. Prick the pastry crust in several places with the sharp tip of a knife. Refrigerate the completed pastry-wrapped lamb until time for final baking. [May be prepared up to 2 days in advance.]

To finish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the chilled, pastry-wrapped lamb on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan. Paint again with egg wash. Bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden. Lamb should have an internal temperature of about 140 degrees (for pink lamb). Allow 12-15 minutes per pound (boned weight) depending on desired doneness.

IMPORTANT: Allow the roast to stand for 20-30 minutes after removing from oven, to complete cooking, evenly redistribute juices and for ease of carving.

Recipe adapted from Menus For All Occasions by Julie Dannenbaum 1974