May the Lamb be with Ewe

At this time of year I, as many people do, think back to the Christmases of my youth and the dishes that my mother spent days preparing. Mind you, my dear mum couldn't make you an edible scrambled egg or hamburger that you'd want to do anything with other than discretely chop up and slyly pass to the dog under the table when eyes weren't settled on you, but set the herculean task of a grand holiday meal in her sights and she was transformed into a formidable taskmaster, enlisting and commanding any and all within her grasp to ensure that everything came out just right for the holly- dressed and candle-laden table. Grand yule get-togethers call for something more than the basic hearty wintertime classics. One must delve deep into tradition, invoking the works of great chefs. From Escoffier and Carême to Ripert and Bourdain because after all, this is a time to show and share the love that only a kitchen can provide so why do it half-heartedly? How­ever, this call to culinary arms does not mean that you have to sweat and toil, weeping uncontrollably while rolling into a depressed ball of anxiety! There is a classic that I turn to at this time of year which I've touched on in the past but this year I'm going to reinvent a classic - the leg of lamb!

My recipe has a series of steps, many which can (and should) be done a day in advance - believe me - it will make your life so much easier when it comes time to cook on the day of your feast!

Ingredients:

1 medium sized leg of lamb - 7 to 9 pounds.

8 large leeks

Two whole heads of garlic

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

2 cups of oil-cured black olives

½ standard pack of maple cured bacon (you didn't think I wasgoing to leave out the bacon did you?)

1 dozen chestnuts

2 cups toasted pecans (can be found in stores that have a bulksection)

1 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup Italian-style herbed breadcrumbs

2 cups of dried cherries (can be found in stores that have a bulksection)

2 cups Medjool dates (can be found in stores that have a bulksection)

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 pack of fresh mint

1 bay leaf

¼ stick of unsalted butter

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups hearty red wine

½ cup of bourbon whiskey

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Salt and pepper of course

How to do it: 2 days before roasting lamb: First step is to make garlic confit. Take your two whole heads of garlic (leave them whole) and peel off just the outer layers of skin until the outer cloves are just covered with their own single layer of "paper". Preheat your oven to 190f. Put into a small, deep oven roaster with the two cups of olive oil (use more or less oil depending on your roasting dish so that the heads are completely covered.) Roast on low for 1 and a half hours, checking from time to time so that they don't overcook. Take out of the oven but leave the garlic in its oil to cool.

Second step that should be done at the same time is to soak the cherries and dates in the bourbon. Use a glass bowl for this - soak for the entire time leading up to cooking!

Third step is to toast the pecan and pine nuts. Dry pre-heat a frying pan on medium- low setting. While the pan is heating up, break up the pecans to the size of the pine nuts. Break up the bay leaf and toss together in the pan. You need to watch this carefully so the pine nuts don't scorch. When the pine nuts are a medium golden brown, remove from pan immediately and set aside.

1 day before roasting lamb: Step 1 - Drain the garlic and save the oil. You're going to use it nowhellip;. Put oil in small pot on stove on low-medium and bring up to temperature. Bend and break up one of the sprigs of rosemary and put in the oil along with the thyme, cloves and cardamom. Let steep for one hour, strain and set the oil aside (toss the herbs).

Step 2 - Next up is the chestnuts (which can be done at the same timehellip;). When picking chestnuts look for the heavier ones - they should actually bounce. Lighter ones that don't bounce are old and will be bitter and grainy. Using a sharp ser­rated knife carefully cut an X on the flat side of the chestnuts. Get a large pot of water boiling and place chestnuts in gently. Boil for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly until you can handle them to remove the skin. Do not let fully cool - you'll never get the skins off! Set aside with the garlic. Now you'll want to separate the garlic cloves and squeeze the meat out of the skins. Just pull off each clove and squeeze gently from the bottom. The meat will slip easily out of the skins. Put garlic into a bowl along with the chestnuts, toasted pecans and pine nuts mix. Chop up the black olives and add this into the mix along with the bread crumbs.

Step 3 - bake the bacon. You'll want crisp but not burned bacon! You've done this before right? Let bacon cool, then crumble up and mix into the garlic, olives, breadcrumbs and nuts mix. For lamb day - pre-heat oven to 450f. You're going to start roasting at high temp and then bring it down for the remainder of cook time. Make sure you bring your lamb out of the fridge early so it is at room temp when placing into the oven. If fro­zen, take out the night before to fully defrost.

Prep out your roasting pan by putting about a ½ cup of fresh olive oil in the bottom. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and then line the bottom of the pan with the leeks. Prep the leeks by cut­ting off the deepest green ends. Chop off the root and then split each one lengthwise. Pour in the red wine.

You know that aromatic oil you made? Now you get to rub your lamb leg lovingly with it. Put the leg on top of the leeks and rub the leg all over, using all the oil. Season lamb with a moderate dose of salt and pepper and you're ready to pop it in the oven on the medium rack. Roast at 450f for 20 minutes then drop oven temp down to 325f.

I really recommend using an external digital thermometer with a temperature probe! Set the temp alarm to 142f and slip probe into the meat at the thickest part - be careful that the probe does not touch the bone - you'll get really overdone lamb if so. If you don't have a digital thermometer, use the tim­ing method - 15-20 minutes per pound.

While the lamb is happily roasting away strain the cher­ries and dates and pour the bourbon into a sauce pan with the brown sugar. Bring to a simmer to liquefy the brown sugar, then turn down to warm.

When lamb is done, pull out of oven and cover in foil for 15 minutes. Bring your sauce back to a simmer and strain the cooking juices from the roasting pan into the sauce. Bring back to high and reduce to half - about 10 minutes. Add in the cher­ries and dates and simmer for 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream and butter.

To serve put some of the caramelized roasted leeks on the plate then a layer of your bacon/olive/nuts mixture. Two slices of your perfectly roasted lamb go on top of that, then a ladle of sauce and some sprigs from the left over rosemary sprigs plus some mint leaves and you have a dish fit for the finest tables around. Now that's some serious holiday love!