Roasted Lamb Leg With Black Olives, Thyme And Orange
serves 2-4
A butterflied leg of lamb is seasoned with a Spanish-inspired mixture of orange zest and black olives and roasted before being cut into thick slices for serving.
1 (3- to 4-pound) butterflied boneless leg of lamb
1 cup cured black olives, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Olive oil
prep: 10 minutes
total: 1 hour
kitchen twine, roasting pan
1. Preheat the oven to 500F. Unroll the butterflied lamb leg, and sprinkle it evenly with kosher salt, the olives, thyme, zest and red pepper flakes. Drizzle it with olive oil.
2. Roll the leg up into a cylinder and tie it in 2 or 3 spots so it's secure. Season the outside with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and rub it all over with a little olive oil.
3. Put the lamb in a roasting pan, and roast it at 500F for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to 300F and roast until the lamb reaches 130F in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Let the lamb rest for 20 minutes before carving. Remove the kitchen twine and cut the lamb into thick slices.
