Crisp Lamb With Yogurt and Scallions

Name: Crisp Lamb With Yogurt and Scallions
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 4-6 servings.
Cuisine: mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 head garlic, peeled; 2 tablespoons kosher salt; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely minced; 3 tablespoons fresh mint, finely minced; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 lamb breast (approximately 3 pounds); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cup thick, Greek-style yogurt or goat yogurt; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely minced; 4 teaspoons lemon zest; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper to taste; Smoked paprika to taste; 5 bunches scallions; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Recipe from Carlo Mirarchi

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Crisp Lamb With Yogurt and Scallions — Sam Kaplan for The New York Times; Food stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell. Prop stylist: Leslie Siegel.

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration
Rating: 4(107)
Comments: Read comments

Here, a lamb breast cooked into tender excellence in the oven, under a sheet of aluminum foil, its skin rubbed with garlic, rosemary and mint. The result is cooled, its flavors concentrating overnight. To serve, the home cook cuts the meat from the bone, then sears it.

The crisp surface of the meat gives way to soft, luscious lamb within, strong-flavored and salty-sweet. Citrus-flecked yogurt only slightly thinned by olive oil provides cool contrast, its creamy brightness melting against the flesh. Wilted scallions add a vegetal note, slightly acid, percussion in a love song. —Sam Sifton

Featured in: Always Be Crisping

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Ingredients

Yield:4-6 servings.

For the Lamb

1head garlic, peeled
2tablespoons kosher salt
¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
3tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely minced
3tablespoons fresh mint, finely minced
Freshly ground black pepper
1lamb breast (approximately 3 pounds)

For the Yogurt Sauce

2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1cup thick, Greek-style yogurt or goat yogurt
2tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2tablespoons fresh mint, finely minced
4teaspoons lemon zest
2teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Smoked paprika to taste

For the Scallions

5bunches scallions
1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and salt into a paste. Gradually mix in the olive oil. Stir in the herbs and pepper.
Step 2
Fit the lamb into a roasting pan big enough to contain it. Smear it thoroughly with the paste, and place it ribs-side down in pan. Cover tightly with foil, and roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees, 2 to 3 hours, depending on size of breast. Meat should be wobbly but not falling apart. Allow to cool, then cover and rest in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 3
The next day, prepare the sauce. Whisk 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the yogurt. Then the lemon juice. Stir in mint, lemon zest and salt. Before serving, drizzle sauce with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and a pinch of paprika to taste.
Step 4
Light your grill, or place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the breast and ribs away from the bone that runs lengthwise between them. Cut the breast into half-inch slices that resemble thick-cut bacon, and separate the ribs. Reserve fat from the roasting pan. Cook a few pieces of lamb at a time on fairly high heat, until browned and crispy on both sides, approximately 4 to 6 minutes.
Step 5
Brush the onions with some of the lamb fat. Place them on the grill or on a pan under a preheated broiler. Cook them, turning once or twice, until flimsy and slightly charred. Remove them to a large bowl and dress with the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Ratings

4 out of 5

107 user ratings

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Comments

SCDC7 years ago

Sounds like a delicious dish! Would a leg of lamb work equally well? I never see lamb breast in the grocery store. Thank you.

Rebecca7 years ago

Got a 2-lb lamb breast in our meat CSA and was delighted to find this recipe since I hadn't encountered the cut before. Instead of the first slow roast, I put the rubbed meat in the Instant Pot with 1 cup water (you could use broth) and cooked it at high pressure for 20 minutes, similar to ribs recipes I've seen. Let it sit overnight, as directed, and followed the recipe after that. Delicious! Easy! And do not skip the yogurt sauce!

vinaigrette7 years ago

Can an instructional video be included, so to illustrate the technique for Step 4? Thank you.

lindsay2 years ago

This was so yummy and easy! The hardest part was cutting the meat. I’ve never really cut a piece like this before, so it took a little experimenting to figure it out, but the cut is very forgiving so no need for perfection. I actually did it backwards - separating the ribs first and then doing the longer bone. Also threw in another handful of mint to the sauce. Everyone had seconds.

tina6 years ago

I did this recipe exactly . It was outrageously good! The fat left in the roasting pan was something else! I used it on the onions and have saved the fat for something wonderful someday. Look forward to time I find lamb breast again (I found it this time in a Russian supermarket called Net Cost in Brighton Beach. It is amazing how hard it is to find. The lamb was meltingly tender, and the crispy fat will make my arteries happy for years!

Kat6 years ago

is a rack of lamb - lamb breast?

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