Christmas Dinner 2009

Christmas Dinner comes from the December 2009 issue of Food Network magazine and recipezaar.com (recipe #4873).

Menu:
Roast Leg of Lamb
Scalloped Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli



Roast Leg of Lamb
2¼ hours | 10 min prep

SERVES 6 -8

• 1 leg of lamb (about 5 lbs)
• 3 garlic cloves, slivered
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary or some fresh sprigs rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, coarsely ground
• coarse salt

1. Remove lamb from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6.
3. Make small slits just large enough for garlic slivers evenly in the leg of lamb, and insert the garlic slivers.
4. Rub all over with lemon juice, then pat the rosemary and black pepper evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with salt to taste. If you're using fresh rosemary, just insert the sprigs with the garlic slivers into the cuts you made.
5. Place lamb, fat side up on a rack in an uncovered pan.
6. Roast 30 minutes to a pound or until the internal temperature reaches 175-180°F, for meat well done. If you prefer slightly rare lamb, roast until 160-165°F.
7. When done, remove from oven, cover the roast in foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
8. If you also want delicious rich gravy, place a 1 1/2 cups of lamb or beef stock in the bottom of the pan before you put the lamb in the oven, making sure that the rack sits above the liquid and the meat doesn't touch it. You can also add a sprig or two of rosemary to it and if you want baste the lamb a couple of times while it's roasting. Just before serving bring the liquid to a simmer on the stove top, making sure you whisk it well and scrape all the bits from the sides and the bottom of the pan. If you want more gravy you can add some extra stock or some of the water you have cooked your vegetables inches Mix 1tbsp of cornflour with 2tbsp of water and whisk it into the stock. Simmer until thickened and you have a wonderful gravy.

Scalloped Potatoes (the recipe calls for creme fraiche, which I didn't use and it was still delicious!)

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 pounds waxy potatoes (such as Yukon gold or Yellow Finn), peeled
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup creme fraeche
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped chives

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the garlic all over the inside of a 3-quart baking dish, then mince it. Grease the dish with about 1/2 tablespoon butter.

Slice the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick (a mandoline works well). Combine in a large saucepan with the minced garlic, the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, the half-and-half, creme fraeche, flour, thyme, mace, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chives and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, shaking it to distribute the potatoes evenly. Bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 hour 5 minutes, occasionally spooning some of the liquid over the top. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

You can also make the scalloped potatoes in individual ramekins; bake about 40 minutes.