Lamb in the Text
Agnello al Testo
Leg of lamb cooked in the oven with potatoes, lardo, garlic and aromatic herbs, slowly cooked over the embers.
Lamb al testo is a rustic dish designed for a convivial table, where a whole leg becomes the centerpiece of the meal and potatoes capture its juices and aromas. In Umbria, the recipe combines the firm, flavorful texture of lamb with the intense aroma of rosemary, sage, and garlic, enriched by the fatty component of the lardoThe result is a full-flavoured dish, with a well-seasoned surface, aromatic pulp and soft potatoes, made tasty by the oil and the pan juicesThe testo technique, with the pan placed on the embers and covered with more embers, ensures an enveloping heat suitable for cooking whole meat. The simplicity of the ingredients requires only attention to the distribution of the battuto and the regularity of the heat, essential elements for obtaining balanced cooking.
Instructions
ShareVoice reading
7 steps · natural Italian voice
Prepare the battuto aromatic
Finely chop the lardo together with garlic, sage and rosemary, until you get a mixture homogeneous and fragrant. Work the battuto so that the herbs are well distributed in the fat: this consistency makes it easier to incorporate into the meat and ensures an even diffusion of the aromas during cooking.
Cut the leg of lamb
Poke the leg of lamb with the tip of a knife, making deep incisions but without separating the flaps of meat. Insert the battuto into the openings, distributing it in several places along the thigh. Finish with salt and pepper, so the seasoning penetrates the meat and doesn't just sit on the surface.
Prepare the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them into similar-sized pieces. Cut the pieces evenly to ensure even cooking with the meat: they should be tender in the center and well-flavored on the outside. Arrange them in the baking pan next to the thigh, without overlapping them excessively.
Season in the baking pan
Place the thigh in the baking pan Arrange the potatoes around the meat. Drizzle everything with extra virgin olive oil, ensuring the seasoning reaches both the surface of the lamb and the potato pieces. Make sure the bottom is well-greased, leaving no dry spots, before cooking on the testo.
Place the text on the embers
Lay it down baking pan on a tripod placed over a bed of embers. Cover the stove with more embers, creating a heat source on top as well. Maintain an even distribution of the embers: the heat should envelop the baking pan and support uniform cooking, without excessive concentrations in a single point.
Cook lamb and potatoes
45 minCook for about three quarters of an hour, keeping the baking pan covered with embers. Check that it's done when the thigh has a well-cooked surface and the potatoes are tender when tested with a fork. The aroma of battuto and the rosemary should be evident, while the bottom will appear flavored by the oil and meat juices.
Know the text
Consider the testo as the traditional cooking vessel at the heart of Lunigiana cuisine. The dish can also be prepared with a cast iron testo, indicated in the recipe data as an evolution of the clay-mixed-quartz vessel. In both cases, cooking takes place with the baking pan placed on the embers and covered by the embers.
Chef's Tips
Aim for uniform cooking of the thigh: distribute the battuto even inside the meat and maintain a constant covering of embers, so the lamb remains tasty while the potatoes finish cooking.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for 6 people
- 1 leg of lamb approximately (3.31 lb) 1.5 kg
- (2.2 lb) 1 kg potatoes
- (1.76 oz) 50 g of lardo (cured pork fatback)
- 2 cloves of garlic rosemary, sage
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Can't find it in the US?
- lardo (cured pork fatback)Italian delis or online
The fattiest part of pancetta, finely chopped
Or: Salt pork, rinsed and finely chopped
Lardo is a cured meat, not lard (rendered fat). Salt pork is saltier: reduce the salt.
Translate