Rosemary Lamb Loin With Apricots And Cranberries

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 (8 lb) whole boneless lamb loin, patted dry,at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (divided)
• fresh ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (divided)
• 16 dried apricots (roughly chopped)
• 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
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Recipe

• 1 you will also need: heavy kitchen string or twine.
• 2 adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees.
• 3 turn lamb loin fat-side down.
• 4 slit lengthwise, almost but not quite all the way through, to form a long pocket, leaving a 1/2-inch border of unslit meat at each end.
• 5 brush cavity with some of the oil, and sprinkle generously with half the salt and pepper and 1 tb.
• 6 of the rosemary.
• 7 line cavity with sauteed garlic and apricots; sprinkle in cranberries.
• 8 tie loin together with kitchen twine or heavy-duty string at 1 1/2-inch intervals.
• 9 brush with remaining oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• 10 set roast, fat-side up, diagonally or curved (so it fits) on a large, lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan.
• 11 warm 1/4 cup apple jelly along with the minced garlic and remaining rosemary.
• 12 brush mixture onto meat.
• 13 roast until a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 125 to 130 degrees.
• 14 (start checking at about 1 1/2 hours.) remove from oven; raise oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• 15 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 155 to 160 degrees, about 20 minutes longer.
• 16 for even more attractive coloring, broil until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• 17 let roast rest 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a carving board.
• 18 stir juices around pan to loosen brown bits.
• 19 pour through a strainer into a small pan, and stir in port, chicken broth and remaining 2 tbs.
• 20 of jelly; bring to a simmer.
• 21 mix cornstarch with the cold water; whisk into sauce.
• 22 simmer until lightly thickened.
• 23 slice lamb and serve with a little sauce.