I do much of my entertaining these days in the house that my parents bought more than fifty years ago on Martha’s Vineyard. Both the island and I have changed a great deal in those years, but the gingerbread cottage overlooking the tennis courts will always be family home to me: a place that houses memories of people loved, friends made, and great meals shared. Many of the friends still summer on the Vineyard, and I celebrate the beginning of each new holiday with a shared Bastille Day meal that has leg of lamb as its centerpiece. It’s my salute to memories of the past and friends of the present, and I try each year to include someone new as a look toward the future.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. If the butcher has not already removed the fell (parchmentlike membrane) from the lamb leg, trim it away along with all excess fat. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make 15 or so small incisions in the leg, spacing them evenly.
Step 2
Place the garlic, lavender, and thyme in a small food processor and pulse until you have a thick paste. Poke a bit of the paste into each of the incisions in the lamb. Place the salt, peppercorns, dried rosemary, and herbes de Provence in a spice grinder and pulse until you have a coarse mix. Rub the mix all over the lamb, covering it evenly. Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan.
Step 3
Roast the lamb for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and continue to roast for about 1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part away from the bone registers 130°F for rare, 140° to 145°F for medium-rare, or 160°F for well-done. Cooking times will vary depending on the shape of the lamb and the consistent heat of your oven. Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Step 4
Carve the lamb parallel to the bone in long, thin slices and arrange the slices on a platter. Transfer the warm sauce to a sauceboat and serve immediately.
Recipe notes
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