Recipe: Gigot D’Agneau Roti A La Provencale (Provencal Roast Leg of Lamb)

Note: One of several Great Home Cooks profiled through the year, Claudie Ces makes this lamb the old-fashioned way, roasting it until the herb coating is crusty on the outside, while the meat remains tender and juicy. A local Provencal rose would accompany the lamb in Aix-en-Provence, where Ces’ relatives live. If you can’t find a Provencal rose, Ces suggests Beaujolais as an alternative.

1 (5-pound) leg of lamb

3 cloves garlic, cut into slivers

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, or combination of 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Sauce Pernod

Ratatouille Nicoise

Remove fat from leg of lamb. Make several slits in meat and insert sliver of garlic in each. Make paste with olive oil, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Rub all over leg of lamb. Bake at 350 degrees, allowing 20 minutes per pound, about 1 hour 40 minutes.

Reserve pan juices for Sauce Pernod. Arrange sliced meat on warmed dinner plates. Cover with Sauce Pernod and accompany with Ratatouille Nicoise. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving, without ratatouille, contains about:

583 calories; 684 mg sodium; 242 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 79 grams protein; 0 fiber; 37% calories from fat.

Sauce Pernod

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons minced shallots

3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

1 tablespoon herbes de Provence or combination of 3/4 teaspoon thyme, 3/4 teaspoon basil, 3/4 teaspoon marjoram, 3/4 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

Salt, pepper

3 tablespoons Pernod

Reserved lamb cooking juices

Heat olive oil in heavy skillet or saucepan. Add shallots and brown. Add tomatoes, basil, herbes de Provence and fennel seeds and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook 15 minutes. Add Pernod and cook 15 minutes longer. Incorporate cooking juices reserved from lamb. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Ratatouille Nicoise

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 Japanese eggplants, peeled and cubed

4 zucchini, peeled and cubed

2 medium green peppers, cored, seeded and cut julienne

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon herbes de Provence or combination of 3/4 teaspoon thyme, 3/4 teaspoon basil, 3/4 teaspoon marjoram, 3/4 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 cup canned Greek olives, pitted

Salt, pepper

Heat olive oil in heavy skillet. Add and saute onion, garlic, eggplants, zucchini and green pepper strips. Add tomatoes, herbes de Provence, olives and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook on medium heat, covered, 45 minutes. If vegetables yield too much liquid, cook partially covered to reduce juices. Makes about 6 cups, or 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 93 calories; 121 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1 gram fiber.