Middle Eastern Lamb
Been without a real internet connection for a couple of months, so I'll make my first recipe back a big one. This is recipe isn't terribly complicated, but takes quite a while (marinating and roasting time), but makes a full leg of lamb; it's perfect for feeding alot of people (think dinner party). I'll also include the recipes for the couscous to serve it on and the sauce to go with it. For the mint in the recipes I suggest going to a good international/middle-eastern grocery store, you can get a giant bag of it for a few dollars; it's alot cheaper than buying it in the spice section of the grocery, and all you have to do is rub it between your hands to crush it and remove the stems.
For the lamb:
1 Leg of lamb
1 bottle red wine (drier is typically better, I use either a merlot or a cabernet)
1 small bottle worcestershire sauce
3-4 large cloves of garlic
6-8 Tbsp crushed dried mint
1 large onion
Rinse off the leg of lamb and place it in a large pan (one capable of holding the lamb and a bottle of wine), add to this the bottle of wine (all of it), the worcestershire sauce (most to all of a small bottle). Quarter and thinly slice the onion, and coarsely chop the garlic, add both to the pan, and add the mint. Rub some of the marinade into the lamb, and stick it in the fridge to marinate for 1-2 days, turning it occasionally. When the marinating is done, put the lamb in the oven at 250 for 3-4 hours; the lamb should should be about medium to medium rare.
For the couscous (to make after the lamb is cooked, only takes a few minutes):
1-2 boxes of plain couscous
Prepare the couscous as indicated on the box, but use only half the water it calls for, and add marinade from the pan the lamb was in until the couscous reaches the proper consistency.
For the sauce:
2 C plain yogurt
2-4 large cloves of garlic (depending on taste)
3-4 Tbsp dried mint (depending on taste)
1/2 Cucumber
Finely mince the garlic, add mint and garlic to the yogurt and mix. Peel the cucumber, and chop into pieces a few millimeters on a side, add to the yogurt and mix.
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