The Iraqi Family Cookbook

The Iraqi Family Cookbook
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Sunday, November 23, 2014

Roasted Leg of Lamb

This is an aromatic and delicious recipe that my family always enjoy. Sometimes I add crushes tomatoes while baking, but not in this recipe. You can always add it to the pan instead of adding 1/2 cup of water.When you purchase the boneless leg of lamb, it is wrapped in a net to keep a nice shape of the lamb.
Remove the net and rinse the lamb under cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Place it on a cutting board and follow the directions.
In my recipes, I mention the Arabian Spice which is a combination of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and black pepper.
1 (3 pounds) lamb, boneless
6 cloves garlic
6 whole cardamoms
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
1 stick of cinnamon, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Arabian Spice (7 spices or Syrian Spice)
2 table spoons salt
2 onions, slices
3 large potatoes, sliced
Preheat oven at 400 degrees F.
Trim off the layer of fat, but keep a little to crisp up while roasting. Make 1-inch slits in the lamb. Make
clusters of cardamom and garlic, or cinnamon and garlic and insert in these slits.
Brush the lamb in oil and season with salt and Arabian spice. Arrange the potatoes and onions on a
baking pan. Lay the lamb over the potatoes, and pour ½ cup of water. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees  F.. Remove from the oven and cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 90 minutes. Remove from oven and uncover. Bake in the oven for 30 more minutes to crisp up the top.
Remove from the pan and serve on a platter surrounded by the potatoes. Pour in some of the juices over the lamb.Skim off the fat before serving.

Serve with saffron rice.