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Roast Leg of Lamb with Orzo

A roasted leg or shoulder of lamb flavored with lemon, garlic, herbs, and served with orzo cooked in chicken broth.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Basil and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,390 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Roast Leg of Lamb with Orzo

Oven450°F, then 350°F
Time20 minutes, then 40 minutes more

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the lamb

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

  2. Combine the lemon juice, garlic, mint, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

  3. Rub the lamb all over with the mixture.

Roast

  1. Place the lamb in a roasting pan, adding the onion around the lamb, and roast for 20 minutes.

  2. Spread the tomatoes around the meat and stir in 2 cups of the chicken broth.

  3. Return to the oven, lower the heat to 350°F, and roast for 40 minutes more.

  4. Remove the pan from the oven and lightly cover with a towel to keep warm.

Cook the orzo and serve

  1. Bring 4 cups of the chicken broth to a boil and slowly add the orzo.

  2. Stir, lower heat, and cover.

  3. Simmer until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

  4. Remove the lamb from the roasting pan, adding the remaining 1 cup of broth.

  5. Stir in the orzo, place the lamb back in the pan, and cook 15 minutes more in a 350°F oven.

  6. Stir the pan juices and the orzo together again to mix well.

  7. Serve the lamb on a warm platter surrounded with the orzo.

  8. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the orzo.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

693Calories
70 gProtein
33 gFat
31 gCarbs

Counts 12 of 13 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Lamb100g cooked294
Chicken100g cooked165
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Plum1 medium (66g)30
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Peppermintnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Basil + oreganotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,390 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Lemon + basiltop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,823 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  3. Garlic + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,756 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Lemon + oreganotop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together784 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  5. Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together27,047 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Lamb
Provides the main protein, which browns and firms as it roasts.
Orzo
Absorbs the broth as it simmers, becoming tender and starchy around the lamb.
Chicken broth
Cooks the orzo and, with the pan juices, adds moisture and savoury flavour.
Plum tomatoes
Break down in the roasting pan, adding acidity and moisture to the pan juices.
Garlic
Adds aroma and pungency that mellows and sweetens as the lamb roasts.
Parmesan cheese
Adds salty, savoury flavour and a sharp finish over the orzo.

The step that matters

Simmering the orzo. Orzo can turn gluey or stay firm if the broth is not kept at a gentle simmer and stirred. Checking tenderness at 8 minutes helps it cook evenly while absorbing the broth.

Swap the mint

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lemon, clove, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper, lamb):

  1. Rosemaryfits better
  2. Marjoramfits better
  3. Thymefits better
  4. Mintthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against lemon, clove, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper, lamb. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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