For most Italians, Easter, perhaps more than Christmas, reflects an emotional connection to their family, cultural heritage and religious faith.
I have so many childhood memories of Easter and the days of Holy Week before it—going to church services several days in a row, shopping for candy at Harrisburg’s long- time candy store, Matango’s, and the scent of lilies and hyacinths permeating our house.
Easter food was special, too—my aunt’s chicken and asparagus soup, my cousin’s cannoli and homemade peanut butter eggs, and my mother’s wonderful roast lamb with mint jelly.
At Eastertime, the rites of spring join religious symbols at the holiday table. For Christians, lamb signifies the Good Friday sacrifice of Jesus. And for those of the Jewish faith, lamb is an important part of the Passover Seder meal. Eggs signify fertility, while peas and asparagus reflect the fruits of a new growing season.
I follow my mother’s custom of ordering a whole leg of lamb from a favorite butcher at the farmers market. Lamb purchased there is fresh and often local, which I find tastes so much better than the shrink-wrapped legs of lamb from New Zealand found in the average grocery store.
I favor a whole, bone-in leg of lamb. While a boneless cut allows for very easy carving, the bone seems to give the meat so much more flavor. Young lamb roasts weigh about 5 to 7 pounds for a whole leg. Allowing about a half-pound per person works, but I usually order a larger one than I need. I am a cook who is always worried that there won’t be enough food.
Roasting lamb is no harder than making a ham, and it’s fun to experiment with different rubs, herbs and spices. I like to cook mine slowly at a medium heat so that it’s fairly cooked all the way through (but not dry). It must be roasted with no more liquid than a splash of wine to coat the bottom of the roasting pan. Roasting, not braising, is the key. I don’t really follow a formal recipe, but this is how I make my Easter lamb.
Agnello Arrosto
Ingredients
- A 5-7 pound bone-in leg of lamb
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Coarse sea salt and black pepper
- Several cloves fresh garlic, cut into slivers
- Fresh herbs of your choice, chopped finely (rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley work well)
Directions
- Remove the lamb roast from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before putting in the oven.
- Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray to make cleanup easier. Many recipes advise using a rack in the pan, but this is not necessary.
- Using a small paring knife, make numerous cuts into the roast (about ½-inch deep). Insert a garlic sliver into each cut.
- Brush (or rub with your hands) olive oil all over the roast.
- Sprinkle sea salt and pepper all over the roast as well as the chopped herbs of your choice.
- Place the roast into a pre-heated, 325-degree oven. Do not cover the roast.
- Cooking times vary depending on which cooking source you are checking and the degree of “doneness” you prefer. I roast about 25 to 30 minutes per pound, and cook until an internal temperature of about 160 degrees is reached. I like lamb fairly well done. If the roast starts to “over-brown” toward the end of cooking, it is OK to place a sheet of aluminum loosely over the top. Sometimes, I will splash a little bit of white wine in the bottom of the roasting pan to loosen the drippings.
- Before carving, let the roast rest (covered) for at least 15 minutes.
- Carve the roast and place on a large, oval platter, drizzling some of the pan juices over the meat. I garnish the platter with lots of fresh mint and, although it’s likely not considered “gourmet,” serve the lamb with lots of mint jelly.
I serve my roast lamb with either roasted russet potatoes, quartered and tossed in olive oil, or scalloped potatoes. We often have lemon-butter asparagus and peas with scallions and chopped mint. And eggs—either pickled or deviled. If I have time, I might make a fruit and nut bread per Italian tradition. Dessert will be an almond cake or a fresh ricotta cheesecake. It is a beautiful meal.
For those at my table who might not like lamb, I serve a small, boneless ham with a brown sugar glaze. My grandbabies appreciate this, but I hope to convert them one day.
I wish all TheBurg readers a happy, peaceful and hopeful Easter. Buona Pasqua!
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