Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Lamb

An impressive centerpiece for your holiday festivities, with only 5 ingredients to keep track of and loads of protein.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut the top third off of each head of garlic; season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a teaspoon of the olive oil. Replace tops and wrap in foil. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until soft and golden. Allow to cool then squeeze out the soft garlic into a small bowl. Mixture may be prepared to this point in advance.
Blend roasted garlic paste with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, remaining olive oil and the rosemary. Tuck about half of the garlic herb blend by spoonfuls inside the roast where it is rolled, getting as much of it towards the center as possible without untying it – spread remaining over outside of roast and place in a heavy roasting pan. (If you have rosemary sprigs remaining, place them in the bottom of the pan as a bed for the roast.)
Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes; reduce the heat to 300°F and roast an additional 45 minutes. At this point start checking the meat thermometer. Remove from the oven when roast reaches 130°F for medium rare. Lamb should not be cooked until well done or it will be too dry. Let stand for 20 minutes before carving so the juices are reabsorbed into the meat.
Cut away the kitchen string and slice with a sharp carving knife, 1/2 inch thick slices, across the grain of the meat. Add one cup of chicken stock to roasting pan, scrape up browned bits and skim off fat for a delicious au jus gravy.

Serves 10 to 12. Per four ounce sliced serving: Calories 265, fat 12g, carbs 0g, protein 32g