Sunday Dinner: Garlicky Leg of Lamb with Polenta

As you’ve probably noticed, we’re major lamb lovers. So it's no coincidence that one of our all-time favorite stands at the Union Square Greenmarket is Catskill Merino. If you've never had the opportunity to stop by this lamb and wool haven, you absolutely should make the effort. The wide stall is lined with hundreds of skeins of beautifully hand-dyed wool in the most amazing natural colors, with luscious lamb skins piled high in the center. And of course, the front is jam-packed with cooler after cooler of delicious lamb cuts, sausages and jerky!

This weekend while walking past the stand, we peered into the coolers and were struck by a leg of lamb. While that cut is a little fancy for us – and even though it was boneless, which we don’t usually go for - it seemed to be just sitting there, waiting for us. And who were we to resist?? We quickly grabbed the leg, along with 5 heads of garlic (another Catskill Merino specialty) and happily marched home.

As is often our philosophy, with such a beautiful piece of meat it’s nice to keep it simple. And as we often do, we went the Tuscan route for inspiration. Garlic, rosemary and olive oil on the lamb, along with a hearty scoop of creamy polenta from Cayuga Pure Organics and a simple arugula salad made for a fantastic Sunday dinner!

Garlicky Leg of Lamb

+ 1 4-lbs leg of lamb

+ 2 small heads of garlic minced (about 3-4 tbsp)

+ 3 tbsp of diced rosemary

+ 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

+ 2 tbsp coarse sea salt

1. Let lamb come to room temperature and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the garlic, salt, olive oil, and rosemary together to make a coarse paste.

3. Pat the lamb dry and cover with paste.

4. Place a heavy skillet over high-heat. When skillet is hot, sear the lamb on all sides - about two minutes a side.

5. Place the skillet oven and cook for about one hour, or until lamb is 120º at it's center.

6. Let rest for about 7 minutes before serving.

Serves 3-4 people