Preparation / Directions:
Chop the pancetta or bacon and garlic. Make a few deep slits in the lamb along the grain of the meat and push little pellets of the mixture into the slits.
Rub the leg with the salt, place it in a roasting pan, and pour over the olive oil. Add the peppercorns and the herbs and leave to marinate for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Pour the wine over the lamb and place in the oven. Baste the meat every 30 minutes or so.
Put the onions in a pan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then drain. This makes them easier to peel. Remove the outside skin and any dangling roots, but do not remove any layer of onion or cut into the root; this is what keeps them whole during the cooking.
About 1 hour after you put the lamb in the oven, add the onions. Put the pan back in the oven and continue cooking until the meat is to your liking, basting every 30 minutes or so. A roast this size needs about 2 hours; the lamb will be well cooked, not pink.
Remove the leg of lamb from the pan and set aside to cool while you prepare the sauce. Any large roast should be left to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving, for the juices to penetrate the meat. Lift out the onions with a slotted spoon and put them in a heated dish or bowl.
Strain the cooking juices into a clean saucepan. Skim off as much fat as you possibly can. Heat the cooking juices, and add the sugar and the lemon and orange juices. Taste and adjust seasonings. When sauce is simmering, add the butter in little pieces and let it dissolve, while swirling the pan. Transfer to a heated sauceboat.
Carve the roast at the table and pass around the onions, sauce, and other vegetables. This recipe serves 8.
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