Roman-style Lamb (Abbacchio alla romana)

Roman-style lamb is a traditional dish of the cuisine of Lazio, particularly that of Rome, and it is a second course based on lamb meat. Here is how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 1 kg of abbacchio (young lamb meat)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 100 ml of dry white wine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. First, preheat the oven to 180° C.
2. Clean the meat by removing any excess fat and cut it into not too small pieces.
3. Take an adequately sized baking dish and grease the bottom with extra virgin olive oil.
4. Place the pieces of lamb in the dish, distribute the crushed garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary.
5. Drizzle the meat with a stream of extra virgin olive oil, and pour over the white wine.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Bake the lamb and let it cook for about an hour and a half. During cooking, occasionally baste the meat with its cooking juices to prevent it from drying out and to make it more flavorful.
8. At the end of cooking, the lamb should be well browned on the outside and tender inside.

Ensure that the lamb stays moist during cooking so that the meat remains tender. If it starts to dry out too much, you can add a bit of water or broth to the dish.

Curiosity

Roman-style lamb is traditionally served during the holidays, especially at Easter, and is often accompanied by baked potatoes and Roman-style artichokes. The term “abbacchio” specifically refers to suckling lamb, that is, very young lamb that has not yet grazed and whose flavor is particularly delicate.