Recipe: Rosemary & Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb

Durant Vineyards is excited to share a dish that screams of the fall season and will impress your dinner guests. Alongside one of Durant’s vintages, you could pair this with one of the Dundee Hills wines recommended below by Eric Shivey from Dusky Goose Winery. He says the key to pairing with a dish like this is to balance the rich, autumnal flavors with a wine bold enough to meet it at the summit. This is a comforting and indulgent meal you’ll be sure to remember! 

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup Durant Olive Mill Rosemary Fused Olive Oil

• 2 heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary, plus 3 sprigs
• 1 tbsp Durant Kitchen Olive Oil Dipping Spice Blend
• 5 lbs boneless leg of lamb
• Kosher or natural sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 3 lbs baby red or mixed baby potatoes, washed and halved lengthwise
• 2 large carrots, sliced on the diagonal 1/2 inch thick
• 2 large celery ribs, cut on the diagonal 1/2 inch thick

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of Durant Olive Mill Rosemary Fused Olive Oil with the minced garlic, rosemary, and Durant Dipping Spice Blend.
• Score the fatty top side of the lamb about 1/4 inch deep. Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper. 
• On a large-rimmed baking sheet, toss the whole garlic cloves, potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery with a generous drizzle of Durant Olive Mill Rosemary Fused Olive Oil. 
• Arrange the vegetables in an even layer and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the rosemary sprigs over the vegetables and set the leg of lamb on top, fatty side up.
• Spread half of the garlic-and-herb rub all over the lamb, making sure to rub it into the score marks. Roast the leg of lamb for 20 minutes.
• Spread the remaining rub over the lamb and add 1/4 cup of water to the baking sheet.
• Roast the lamb for about 1 hour and 20 minutes longer, rotating the baking sheet a few times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 145° for medium. Add a few more tablespoons of water to the baking sheet at any point if the vegetables start to get quite dark.
• Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let it rest for 20 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprigs. Carve the leg of lamb into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve with the roasted vegetables and fresh rosemary sprigs.

WINE PAIRINGS:

Wine Characteristics: A medium-bodied red with some age to create a deep flavor profile. Bright acidity, developing fruit aromas and flavors.

• Dusky Goose 2014 ‘Dundee Hills Pinot Noir’: A warm vintage and 10 years of gentle aging have produced a nuanced wine with the right amount of developing fruit and acidity to bring the robust roasted lamb and herbed vegetable flavors into balance.
• De Ponte Cellars 2017 ‘Estate Pinot Noir’: The elevated acidity and earthiness typical of the 2017 vintage combine with crunchy red fruits, toasted cedar aromas, and a spicy bite to stand up to the heavier elements of the dish.