Give The Grill A Night Off

Give your grill chef—it could be you!—the evening off and roast this delicious mint and chive marinated leg of lamb at your next dinner party.

The recipe may look daunting because it has four components, but all the work is done ahead. Then, day of the dinner, bring the meat to room temperature, about 30 minutes, and roast it. Add roasted Yukon gold potatoes, blanched yellow and purple beans, a green salad, and pour a full-bodied red wine to complete the menu.

Bon appétit!

Mint And Chive Marinated Leg Of Lamb(Serves 6)1 5-pound leg of lamb, boned and trimmed, small pieces of meat reserved

2 cloves garlic, slivered

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Olive oil for drizzling, just before roasting

For the marinade:

15 sprigs of mint, bruised

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bunch chives, minced

2 cups dry vermouth

For the stuffing:

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/2 cup reserved lamb pieces, ground in food processor

1/4 cup Madeira

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For fresh mint sauce:

3/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2½ tablespoons sugar

2/3 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, for swirling

Fresh sprigs of mint, for garnishing the platterTo prepare the meat:Butterfly bone the leg of lamb, trim off fat and connective tissue, and remove small pieces of meat from the edges.

Set small pieces aside.

Slice garlic cloves into slivers with the point of a sharp knife.

Poke holes in the meat.

Insert garlic.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place meat in a non-reactive pan or bowl.To prepare the marinade:Mix mint sprigs, garlic and chives together with vermouth.

Pour the marinade over the meat.

Cover.

Refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight.To prepare the stuffing:Place the reserved meat trimmings in the food processor.

Pulse until it resembles hamburger meat.

Coat the bottom of a sauté pan over moderate heat with oil.

Add garlic.

Sauté, until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Stir in mint and parsley.

Sauté about 1 minute.

Add ground lamb.

Sauté until light brown, about 2 minutes.

Add Madeira.

Increase heat.

Stir-fry, until half the liquid is reduced.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Set aside to cool.To prepare the mint sauce:Add mint, sugar, vinegar and water to a non-reactive saucepan over high heat.

Bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer, 15 to 20 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Cool and refrigerate until serving time.To stuff and roast the lamb:Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Remove the leg of lamb from the marinade.

Discard the liquid.

Place the lamb on a clean surface.

Spread the stuffing over the cavity of the meat.

Roll up the meat with cotton kitchen string.

Tie with a slipknot every 1½ inches to secure the meat.

Drizzle a bit of oil over the outside of the roll.

Sear the lamb on all sides in a large Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish over high heat, until it is brown, about 10 minutes.

Place in preheated oven.

Reduce heat to 375°F.

Roast until an instant read meat thermometer registers 125 to 130°F for medium rare, about 1½ hours.

Remove from oven.

Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Reheat mint sauce until hot.

Swirl in the butter.

Transfer to a pitcher for pouring.

Cut the lamb into thin slices.

Transfer to a platter.

Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Serve at once with the fresh mint sauce.Yellow And Purple Beans(Serves 6)3/4 to 1 pound each of yellow and purple string beans from the farmers market

Olive oil for drizzlingTo prepare:Rinse dirt off beans.

Drop the yellow beans, by the handful, into a large pan of boiling water.

Blanch until they are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove from the water.

Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process.

Drain well.

Cut off the stem ends, leaving the tails intact.

Set aside until serving time.

Follow the same technique in the same pot of boiling water, with the purple beans, cooking them 4 to 5 minutes. (Note: purple beans turn green when cooked)

Drizzle oil over beans.

Reheat in a skillet.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.