Fratelli Perata Winery

Agnello Arrosto di Mamma (Lamb)


The brothers' maternal side of the family comes from Belmonte di Sanno, south of Campobasso, in Italy. That region uses a lot of lamb.  When she was growing up, her parents brought the tradition of lamb to California with them.  Here is an adaptation of her mother's recipe.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1 4-5 pound boneless leg of lamb
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces Prosciutto or good ham, cut in short thin strips
olive oil for browning

Open the lamb so it is laying flat.  Using a sharp knife cut slits on both sides of the lamb about ¾' long, about a dozen cuts.

Mix the rosemary, parsley and garlic together, push about half of this mixture into the slits on the outside (when it is re-rolled) of the lamb. Mix the rest of the herbs with the Prosciutto, push into the slits on the inside (boned side)  of the lamb. Roll back up and secure with cooking string. 

Brown in roasting pan on top of stove with olive oil.  When completely browned, cover, and put all in oven.  Bake at least 2 hours. You need a thermometer to test for doneness.  Some like their lamb pink, some more done, and the size of the roast really varies.  It is best to use a thermometer, cook to 140 degrees for safety, 130 degrees for more rare.

Remove from oven, let rest 10 minutes. Remove string, slice in not too thin pieces and serve.

The roast will be permeated with herbs and garlic.  This will pair extremely well with either the Tre Sorelle or the Merlot, or if you have to have Cabernet, that works too.