Julia Child's Favorite Jamison Lamb

Adapted from "Fresh and Fast" by Marie Simmons and "The Zuni Caf Cookbook" by Judy Rodgers

Ingredients

One 8-pound boned and butterflied leg of lamb

About 4 teaspoons kosher salt

About 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Directions

Trim all but a thin layer of fat from the outside of the lamb. Flip it over and trim the heavy silver skin from the inside of the leg. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper inside and out.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper to make a loose paste. Evenly coat all sides of the lamb with the paste. Let the coated lamb marinate for an hour at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 8 hours or overnight. If refrigerating, allow lamb to come to room temperature before proceeding.

Roll the leg into a log shape and tie with kitchen twine at the thickest part of the leg. Working from the middle to the loin end, then from the middle to the shank end, tie the leg about every 1 1/2 inches, using a separate piece of string for each tie.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the lamb in a shallow roasting pan in the center of the oven and roast for one hour, or until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg registers 100 degrees Farenheit. Remove the lamb from the oven and loosely wrap the two ends with aluminum foil. Return the lamb to oven and continue roasting for another 10 to 15 minutes, to 113 degrees for rare, 118 degrees for medium rare, or 124 degrees for medium.

Remove the roast from the oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes in a warm spot. The internal temperature after roasting should be 140 for "rosy" lamb. Serves 12