Salim's Leg of Lamb

Salim Ben Mami is the chef and owner of Café Collage, a great little bistro in our town of Oregon House. Salim is from Tunisia and lived few years in Greece. He moved to Northern California twenty years ago, and worked in such fine restaurants as Aioli in Sacramento and Citronee in Nevada City. Ten years ago he opened Café Collage (referring to the collage of Mediterranean cuisines he offers). His signature dish is leg of lamb, the recipe for which follows. The key ingredients—Apollo Barouni olive oil, Renaissance Cabernet and wild honey—are all local products:

1 leg of lamb
1 bunch of mint leaves
4 garlic cloves, diced
4 diced carrots
4 diced zucchini
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 cup of fresh chickpeas
4 potatoes cut in wedges
1 soup spoon of honey
½ bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon
½ cup of Barouni olive oil

Chop the mint leaves into large pieces.
Grill the leg of lamb.
Marinate the meat with the honey, wine, mint and olive oil. Leave it overnight. Sprinkle salt & pepper
Place the leg and the rest of the ingredients in a baking pan (the garlic and onion cut in small pieces).
Bake for 45' in the oven at 350. This will give you a medium-rare meat.Let it rest for 15'-20'
Meanwhile put the sauce in a frying pan & reduce it for 30 minutes.
Slice the lamb and pour the reduction .
Garnish with the mint and drizzle with Apollo Barouni.

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