Gingered Butterflied Lamb with Yams

A tart and spicy marinade flavors every part of this entrée—oven roasted yam wedges, tender onion halves and thinly sliced boned leg of lamb.

Recipe Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped fresh ginger
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless butterflied leg of lamb, trimmed of fat
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup raisins
8 to 10 small yams or sweet potatoes (about 4 pounds), scrubbed
8 to 10 small onions (each about 2-inches in diameter), unpeeled, cut lengthwise into halves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup beef broth

Cooking Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, combine ginger, garlic, pepper, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Whirl until mixture forms a paste; set aside.
2. Lay lamb flat in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; spoon ginger mixture around lamb. Mix sugar, raisins, and remaining 10 tablespoons vinegar; pour over lamb. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
3. Generously grease a 17x12x2-inch or larger roasting pan.
4. Cut unpeeled yams lengthwise into 3/4-inch thick wedges. Arrange yams and onion halves (cut side down) in pan. Brush oil onto vegetables, coating well.
5. Roast on lower rack of a 425°F (220°C) oven for 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, lift lamb from marinade and drain briefly; reserve marinade. Place lamb, boned side down, on a rack in a shallow baking pan.
7. After vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes, place lamb in oven on middle rack. Continue to roast both lamb and vegetables, basting lamb occasionally with marinade, for 30 minutes. Lift raisins from marinade and sprinkle over lamb. Drizzle vegetables with all but 3 tablespoons marinade. Continue to roast until vegetables are tender when pierced and a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of lamb registers 140°F to 145°F (60°C) for medium-rare, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
8. Transfer lamb, onions, and yams to a platter; keep warm. To lamb cooking pan, add broth and reserved 3 tablespoons marinade; cook over medium heat, stirring to scrape browned bits free, until sauce is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Pour into a small bowl.
9. To serve, thinly slice lamb across the grain. Serve lamb with yams, onions, and sauce.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.