Not in Vain

I'd mentioned that I bought a leg of lamb yesterday to try and fill the gaping hole of disappointment for not getting a leg of pork. Wasting the Apple Chicken wasn't totally in vain since it gave me the opportunity to roast another chunk of meat and not having to worry about the leftovers! I also made a trip to a wholesale kitchen supply store today and invested in a bunch of things, one being a roasting pan. So, what better opportunity to break that in than to make a roast leg of lamb?

Since I already made a typical Braised Lamb Leg I decided to go in a similar vein that I was attempting yesterday and use cinnamon and cloves to flavor the lamb, roasting it first at a high temperature to sear the skin (in this case, crisp the fat) and then finish it at a much lower temperature. The Cinnamon Clove Lamb Leg turned out a lot better than the chicken because I didn't forget about it. The flavor was somewhat similar to an over-spiced Moussaka. I think this would've gone over a lot better if I had braised the leg longer, but I was getting hungry and impatient and sliced off a couple pieces anyway.

I normally make no mention of wine or anything here, mostly because I know I have no idea what I'm really talking about, but I picked up a bottle of wine that I actually thought went quite nicely with the meat, which is something I've never achieved before. It's called Dunsbury Bin 76, which is an Australian red wine featuring berry and spice undertones. Noting it here is moreso for my benefit than yours, but you're welcome to try it, of course.

Anyhow, I mixed up some Greek Mashed Potatoes to go with it, as well as Broiled Feta Eggplant. Originally I was going to do an elaborate eggplant dish, but I got lazy and went with this instead. I have a feeling I either used too much olive oil or I salted them too long (or at all?) because the flavor was good, the outside was crisp but the rest of the eggplant flesh was soggy and not so pleasant. Eggplant is tricky, I tell you!