Recipe: Roast lamb with potato, onion and pepper gratin

Note: Our second lamb recipe comes from our issue on one-dish oven meals published nearly a year ago. The original recipe that this is based on comes from Patricia Wells, but we liked the version that was adapted by Frances McCullough and Barbara Witt for their cookbook “Great Food Without Fuss” ( Henry Holt & Co.: 1993). They suggested replacing the tomatoes called for in Wells’ recipe with roasted red pepper strips. It’s a delicious idea--especially when tomatoes are out of season. Wells’ technique of roasting the lamb on a rack over the vegetables allows the meat juices to flavor the vegetables. It’s a simple, true one-dish meal .

6 cloves garlic

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced thyme

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 large onions, very thinly sliced

1/2 pound roasted sweet red peppers

1 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup olive oil

1 (6- to 7-pound) leg of lamb, bone in

Split 1 clove garlic. Rub bottom of 16x10-inch oval gratin dish with split clove of garlic. Arrange potatoes over bottom of pan. Chop together remaining 5 garlic cloves and thyme.

Season potatoes generously to taste with salt, pepper and 1/3 of garlic-thyme combination. Layer sliced onions on top. Season to taste with salt, pepper and another 1/3 of garlic and thyme. Layer peppers on top of onions. Season to taste with salt, pepper and remaining 1/3 garlic and thyme. Pour over wine, then oil.

Trim excess fat from lamb. Season meat to taste with salt and pepper. Place sturdy oven rack directly on top of gratin dish. Set lamb on rack so that juices will drip into gratin.

Roast, uncovered, at 400 degrees about 1 hour and 15 minutes for rare. Turn lamb every 15 minutes, basting with liquid from dish underneath. Remove from oven. Let lamb stand 20 minutes before carving.

To serve, carve lamb into thin slices and arrange on warmed dinner plates or on serving platter with vegetable gratin alongside. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 454 calories; 175 mg sodium; 131 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 45 grams protein; 0.91 gram fiber.