Mayte's Leg of Lamb Roast and Garlic Aioli Sauce

Submitted by: Mayte Diaz, Director, General Services

Ingredients 4-5 lbs boneless New Zealand leg of lamb (net wrapped) 15-20 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise 1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 1/2 cup of white wine or dry sherry (optional) 6-10 fresh rosemary sprigs, washed and dried (2 tbs dried rosemary spice works as well) Garlic salt (or salt and garlic powder) Black pepper 1/4 cup of honey or honey mustard Kitchen utensils Roast pan or Dutch oven Meat or pastry brush Directions Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Place garlic cloves between meat folds and under the net. Pour EVOO over the leg and rub it with your hands to make sure it is well oiled. Pour white wine or sherry over the lamb (most recipes instruct you to do this at the end, but doing this will wash the spices off the meat, so this should be done before seasoning the meat). Generously season meat with garlic salt (or salt and garlic powder) and black pepper. Put the rosemary sprigs under the net so they stay in contact with the meat, distribute them evenly. If you don’t have fresh rosemary sprigs, season with dried rosemary seasoning. Place the leg of lamb in an oven safe roast pan or Dutch oven. Place in the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees internal temperature. In a separate bowl add the honey. If the honey is too thick, thin it out by putting it in the microwave for a few seconds, or by adding a tablespoon of hot water. Brush honey all over the leg of lamb (You can substitute honey with honey mustard for an extra kick). Place the leg of lamb back in the oven for 10-15 more minutes. Once internal temperature has reached 145-160 degrees, take it out of the oven and let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes. Dispose of the net and rosemary sprigs, and cut meat in slices. Pour meat juices over the meat when serving. It goes very well with roasted vegetables and potatoes. Garlic aioli sauce ingredients 1 large raw egg (room temperature) About 3/4 cup of neutral flavored oil, avocado or sunflower oil preferred 2-3 peeled and halved cloves garlic (or even 4 if you want pungent garlicy taste) A generous pinch of salt Kitchen utensils Immersion hand blender Blender tall cup Directions Put egg, garlic, and salt in blender cup. Add about 1/4 cup of oil. Put hand blender in the cup and hold the cup firmly. Blend for 5-10 seconds. When ingredients look blended, very slowly and steadily move the hand blender up and down and pour remaining oil gradually and slowly, while still blending. This will emulsify the ingredients and, as you add oil, the sauce will thicken. The more oil you use, the thicker the sauce will be. It is very important that you use a slow and steady hand when moving the hand blender up and down so the sauce emulsifies.

Note: Irregular or fast blending will not allow the sauce to emulsify and thicken. If this happens, discard and start again.

This sauce goes very well with roasted or barbequed meats and sausages. Also goes well with roasted potatoes and is a great spread for sandwiches. Refrigerate promptly after use. Discard leftovers after 3 days.