Sunday lunch: Roasted leg of lamb

What is a better way to spend a rainy afternoon at home, than with your family?
What is a better way to have your family over than to have a nice lunch?
And what is a better way to have a family lunch than to serve warm comfort food made with lot of love?

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Roasted leg of lamb with mint and spinach stew

Ingredients

For the roasted lamb leg

1 boneless leg of lamb

5-6 baby carrots
5-6 garlic cloves
7-8 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp olive oil

4 tbs brandy

For the mint & spinach stew
 2 tbsp olive oil

1 lbs baby spinach
2 cups chopped fresh mint
3 cups chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup cooking wine ( white!)

1 tbs salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp flour

1. Preheat the oven at 400F.

2. Wash the leg of lamb and spread it on a cutting board skin down. Make couple of incisions on the inside of the meat and stuff the cloves in them. Place the carrots on top, ad 2 bay leaves and season well with salt and pepper.

3. Roll the meat so the carrots and cloves are going to stay on the inside ( like stuffing) and cover with a cooking net.

4. Place the rest of the bay leaves on top of the skin under the net and season well.

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5. In a large skillet place the olive oil and heat to medium high. Add the leg of lamb and sear.

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6. Remove the leg of lamb from the skillet and bake it in a greased pan with the 4 tbs brandy, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour on 350F or until the meat thermometer shows 160 F ( for well done!).
* for more information on cooking lamb, look at this. 

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 7. In the mean time while waiting for the roasted leg to bake, wash and cut the vegetables for the stew.
In a frying pan place 2 tbsp olive oil and heat on medium high.

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8. Place the green peppers in the pan and stir well. After one minute add the chopped spinach, garlic and mint. Stir well again.  In 5 minutes add the cooking wine, salt and pepper and stir well.

9. In a separate bowl stir the 3 tbsp flour with the paprika with 1 cup water. It has to be liquid enough to pour it into the stew! Stir well and add it to the stew.

10. Stir for 5 minutes the stew and when the flour is well incorporated, place the stove to Low and cover with a lid. Leave it for 10-15 minutes or until done.

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11. When the lamb is done, remove the aluminum foil and broil it on normal for 5 minutes or until the desired crust color. Place the meat on a cutting board, remove the cooking net and let it rest for 10 minutes.

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12. Cut the meat and serve warm! Garnish with the spinach and mint stew.

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*On the picture  I have served also with  green salad with spinach, dandelion and radishes and with stir fry rice with asparagus, mushrooms, caramelized onions and flax seed.