Rosemary-scented Lamb Loin

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 16 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves
• 1 (8 lb) boneless lamb loin, patted dry, at room temperature
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced (snip with scissors)
• 16 dried apricots (or similar amount of your favorite dried fruit)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup apple jelly
• 1/4 cup port wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons apple jelly
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Recipe

• 1 adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. add whole garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. remove with a slotted spoon; reserve oil.
• 2 turn lamb loin fat-side down. slit lengthwise, almost but not quite all the way through, to form a long pocket, leaving a 1/2-inch border of un-slit meat at each end. brush cavity with some of the reserved garlic cooking oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and 1 tb. of the rosemary. line cavity with sauteed garlic and apricots; sprinkle in cranberries. tie loin together with kitchen twine or heavy-duty string at 1 1/2-inch intervals.
• 3 brush with remaining oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. set roast, fat-side up, diagonally or curved (so it fits) on a large, lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. warm 1/4 cup apple jelly along with the minced garlic and remaining rosemary. brush mixture onto meat.
• 4 roast until a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 125 to 130 degrees. (start checking at about 1 1/2 hours.) remove from oven; raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. brush loin with pan drippings, return to oven, and continue to roast until the loin is golden brown and a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 145 degrees f (63 degrees c), about 20 minutes longer. for even more attractive coloring, broil until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• 5 let roast rest 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a carving board. stir juices around pan to loosen brown bits. pour through a strainer into a small pan, and stir in port, chicken broth and remaining 2 tbs. of jelly; bring to a simmer. mix cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water; whisk into sauce. simmer until lightly thickened. slice lamb and serve with a little sauce.