Roast Lamb Holiday Feast

red wine cherry sauce, white truffle hassleback potatoes, chopped brussel sprout salad

For the lamb:
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp seat salt 
1 leg of lamb, bone in or semi-boneless (approximately 5-7lbs)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped rosemary
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
4 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1/2 tbsp butter
3 sprigs of fresh sage, leaves removed

1. On a cutting board, coarsely chop the garlic. Sprinkle with salt and using the flat side of a large knife, smear the garlic and salt into a course paste. 

2. Place the lamb in a large cast iron baking pot. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score slits about 1 inch wide all over the lamb.

3. Drizzle olive oil over lamb. Fill each slit with garlic salt paste and use the rest to slather over the lamb. Sprinkle on rosemary. Cover with lid of the pot and refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to overnight. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before cooking.

4. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast for 15 minutes with the lid off. Remove from oven and add stock and red wine to the bottom of the pan and place parsnips around the lamb. 

5. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb (not touching the bone) reads 130 degrees for medium rare, about 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes bring oven to a broil to crisp the top of the lamb and add the cherry sauce (recipe below) for the final 5 minutes. 

6. Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add sage and cook until crispy. Set aside.

7. Carve the lamb by slicing vertically along the roast in the boneless area, then parallel to the bone in the shank section. Serve crispy sage over lamb roast and remaining cherry sauce on the side.

Pair with a left bank Bordeaux.

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For the cherry sauce:

1 lb. red cherries
red wine
balsamic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp rosemary, dried
honey
pinch of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then turn to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, mashing cherries into smaller pieces. Remove from heat and set aside until plating. 

For the hassleback potatoes:

4 russet potatoes 
2 tbsp butter, sliced in to 4 even pieces
1/4 cup white truffle oil
sea salt
pinch of dried rosemary 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice potatoes into very thin slices, making sure not to cut all the way through. Place on a baking dish. Top with butter and half of the truffle oil. Cook for 1 hour, adding the remaining truffle oil, sea salt, and rosemary halfway through. Baste the potatoes with the oil a few times throughout the hour they are baking. 

For the brussel sprout salad:

1 lb brussel sprouts, stems removed and shaved
1 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1 1/2 cup honeycrisp apple, diced
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup shaved parmesan 

dressing:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Pour over the salad and toss. Let sit for about 30 minutes before serving.