Agneau aux Sept Herbes

 

The recipe for lamb with 7 herbs, known as "Agneau aux Sept Herbes" in French, is a traditional meal commonly served in France during the Christmas season. There are several recipes and you already know that the French are very purists when judging which is "the good one", so I'm sure they would have some objection to the following one. In any case, I have respected the 7 herbs of the name and have simplified the recipe as much as possible, which, as you will see, is really simple.

INGREDIENTS (approximately 6 people)

• 1 boneless leg of lamb (approximately 2 kg, 4.4 lb)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Herbal Blend*

• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs of fresh oregano
• 2 sprigs of fresh tarragon
• 2 sprigs of fresh basil
• 2 sprigs of fresh parsley
• 2 sprigs of fresh chives

*The "official" recipe says that they must be fresh. With some, such as parsley, basil, chives, etc. it is easy, with others not so much. Do what you can. Most, if not all, are available in the typical dried versions that are supplied in small jars.

The recipe is prepared in 2 phases. The first is the marinade, which is made the day before and then, after 8 hours at night, the baking itself.

First we prepare the herb mixture.

We wash and dry all the fresh herbs. Finely chop all the herbs and mix them in a small bowl.

The next thing is to prepare the marinade.

In a bowl, mix the minced garlic cloves (without the inner green germ), Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. This mixture will be used as a marinade for the leg of lamb.

Spread the marinade mixture over the leg of lamb, making sure to cover it completely. You can do this with your hands or with a kitchen brush. It is advisable to do this operation on a somewhat deep tray so that we can later cover it and take it to the refrigerator.

We cover the marinated leg of lamb (with plastic wrap, more than anything so that the smell of garlic does not spread and contaminate other foods) and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, to allow the flavors are absorbed.

We preheat the oven to 180°C (356 F).

We place the leg of lamb on a baking tray and place it in it. The cooking time may vary depending on the size of the leg, but as a reference, we will cook for approximately 20 minutes per 500 grams (1.1 lb), or until the desired doneness is reached (this is done by measuring the temperature with a kitchen thermometer, remember that the Lamb meat is rare at 65º C (149 F) , medium rare at 70 degrees (158 F) and well done at 74 degrees (165 F) or higher). If you have 2 kg (4.4 lb) of meat, the time will be 80 minutes, although you should keep in mind that the French tend to serve meat rare. That is, you ask for a well-done steak and they serve it to you as in other countries it would be considered rare. So if you like it well done, 90 minutes could be the ideal time.

During the cooking process, it is a good idea to baste the leg of lamb with the juices from the tray to keep it juicy.

After baking, we let the leg of lamb rest for about 15 minutes before cutting it. This is mandatory for the flavors to settle. Serve with additional juices and garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired.

The most common thing is to accompany the dish with traditional garnishes such as roast potatoes, glazed carrots or mashed potatoes. By the way, the aroma of herbs will invade the entire house, so don't be surprised if the whole family asks you what you are cooking that smells so good.