Roasted Leg of Lamb with Marinated Artichokes and Lavender Mustard

Ingredients

LAMB
1 whole leg of lamb, about 6 to 9 pounds, boned and tied
10 peeled garlic cloves
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine
1 cup red-wine vinegar

To dress the lamb:
36 picholine olives
1 package sun-dried tomatoes
4 cups washed and dried arugula

ARTICHOKES
24 baby artichokes
1 tbs. all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
� cup olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbs. mint
� cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups dry white wine

LAVENDER MUSTARD
� cup whole-grain mustard
� cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp. dried lavender flowers (available at Fairway)
1 tsp. honey

Instructions

For Lamb: Prepare leg: Cut slits into top portions of roast with a small sharp knife. Insert a garlic clove into each slit and push it into the meat with your finger until it’s no longer visible. Rub the herbs, salt, and pepper over the meat; follow with the olive oil. Splash with wine and red-wine vinegar. Cover and let lamb marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator about 1 hour before roasting.

Preheat oven to 450. Place lamb in shallow roasting pan. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes for initial searing, then reduce temperature to 350 and continue to roast for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest to room temperature. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator an hour before serving and let come to room temperature. Slice thinly across the grain; there will be both well-done and medium-rare sections, so everyone will be satisfied.

For Artichokes: Bend the outer leaves of the artichokes back until they snap off close to the base, and remove several more layers of leaves in the same manner until the white inner leaves are reached. Trim the tips and quarter the artichokes. In a small bowl, toss the artichokes with the flour and salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat the oil and garlic over moderate heat until the oil is hot but not smoking and the garlic is softened. Add the artichokes and sauté them over moderately high heat, stirring, for 6 minutes. Stir in the mint and lemon juice and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine, salt, and pepper and simmer the mixture, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the artichokes are very tender. Add the parsley and boil the mixture, uncovered, over high heat for 1 minute, or until it is thickened slightly. Cool overnight in the refrigerator in the liquid. The next day, drain the artichokes, but keep one cup of the cooking liquid; emulsify it with a hand blender and use as dressing (see below).

For Mustard: Mix together the ingredients.

To Assemble: Arrange arugula on a platter. Place thinly sliced lamb on top. Scatter the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes around the lamb. Pour the dressing over the arrangement. Place the mustard in a side dish.