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Grilled Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic
MAGGIE: The legs of lamb we found in the Florence
market and at our local butcher were quite tiny. Tony
grilled the boned meat to perfection over the coals in our
much loved kitchen fireplace — the meat was charred on the
outside but pink and moist in the middle. At that last
moment we thought of melting some of my quince paste and
basting the cooking meat with it— delicious.
The lamb joined grilled and sliced wild boar sausages,
calf’s liver cooked as a whole piece (see page 104),
and polenta grilled as a cake and dotted with gorgonzola (see
page 106) to make yet another fantastic feast from the
fire. The grilling days were my favorites.
Serves 6
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Olive Oil
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Juice of 1 lemon
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Salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
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3 sprigs rosemary
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4 cloves garlic
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1 small tunnel-boned leg of lamb
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2 ounces quince paste, melted
Mix a slug of olive oil and the lemon juice, salt, pepper,
and rosemary in a bowl. Cut the garlic into slivers.
Pierce the meat several times with a sharp knife, then
push the garlic slivers into these holes. Put the meat in
a baking dish and pour the olive-oil mixture over it.
Marinate the meat for 1 hour, turning it several times.
Prepare a wood fire. Heat the grill and cook the lamb at
least 21/2 inches above the fire, turning it regularly and
brushing it each time with the melted quince paste. The
cooking time will depend on the size of the leg, but allow
about 30 minutes, then cover and allow it to rest before
carving. The meat will retain its heat, so don’t be
tempted to rest it for anything less than 15 minutes,
preferably longer.
Recipe from Tuscan
Cookbook: Recipes and Reminiscences from the
Italian Cooking School
By Stephanie Alexander & Maggie Beer; Photography by
Simon Griffiths
(Laurel Glen;
August 2003; $21.95/ Trade Paperback; ISBN:
1-59223-122-5). |
