Michael Symon's holiday recipe for roasted lamb with tzatziki sauce
He's a Beard Award winner, cookbook author, Iron Chef, and a beloved son of Cleveland (no, Drew Carey's not his brother). But when the holidays come around, Michael Symon's just another hungry celebrant. Of course, his feast miiiiight be a little fancier than yours... unless you follow his family recipe for roasted leg of lamb with tzatziki sauce. Which you should.
Roasted Lamb with Tzatziki
Total Time: 2 hours, minus downtimeYield: Dependent on leg size
Ingredients:
For lamb:
- 6 shallots, minced (about 3/4 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 6-pound bone-in leg of lamb
- Tzatziki sauce (ingredients below)
For Tzatziki sauce:
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1 cucumber
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- For the tzatziki, put the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl and let drain for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Peel and dice the cucumber. Sprinkle it with salt and place in a strainer at room temperature for 2-3 hours to drain.
- Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, mint, garlic, and shallot in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- For the lamb, mix together in a medium bowl the shallots, garlic, rosemary, sugar, coriander, red pepper flakes, and salt. Rub the mixture all over the surface of the lamb. Place in a large glass baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the lamb from the baking dish, rinse off the seasonings, and pat dry. Let the lamb sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat a roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb and brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the lamb, fat side up, to a roasting rack set into a roasting pan. Roast until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 140°F, about 1½ hours.
- Remove the lamb from the pan and set it aside to rest for 20 minutes.
- Slice the lamb and serve with the tzatziki sauce.