Impromptu Dinner Party: Spiced boneless leg of lamb with pomegranate glaze, and a great bottle of wine

We had another impromptu dinner party last night. Anyone who knows me well understands that I am an obsessive planner/forecaster/micromanager of all things food-related, so this devil-may-care last-minute inviting of guests is a new and unexpected twist. Past experience has shown me that trying to plan things in advance doesn't always work out - schedules change, other commitments pop up, restaurant kitchens catch on fire and your reservations get cancelled - and sometimes your best bet is trying to catch someone at the last minute and tempt them with a dinner invitation. And so it was.

"Impromptu" is a relative term. I knew I wanted to make this particular dish and try this particular wine, so I had to order it in advance and wait for it to arrive. I didn't know when I would make it or who I would invite, so it still counts as spontaneous. I was driving home from the grocery store and drove past my aunt and uncle's house - they were standing on the porch - it seemed like a sign. Three minutes later we had Saturday dinner plans.

I have a side business doing in-home wine tastings, and the company always publishes recipes to go with the wines. Spiced Boneless Leg of Lamb with Pomegranate Glaze made it onto the I'd Really Like To Make This Someday list. Because the wines are all small-batch and sometimes sell out quickly, it had to be on the I'd Really Like To Make This Someday SOON list. And because it's a lamb recipe, I had to invite family. (I don't plan it that way - it just seems like every time I invite family over I end up making lamb. So now it's a thing. I feel like Aunt Voula.)

I made this without the rosemary called for in the original recipe, mostly because I woke up Saturday morning and realized I didn't have any in the house. There was no way I was getting dressed and going to the store in sub-zero temperatures, either, no matter how strong a believer I am in "recipes as written" (see how relaxed and spontaneous I am these days? I'm practically reckless!).

About the wine: The suggested wine pairing for this meal is the Albion 2010 Cuvee Rouge, and it's made me a firm believer in the quality of the suggested food and wine pairings. This wine is just fantastic; a little tannic, a little acidic, with lots of pomegranate and vanilla and just a little bit of oak. It was rich and full without being overwhelming; my aunt says she's not much of a wine drinker - and prefers sweet reds - but she really enjoyed it as well. There are some wines that completely change their character when you have them with food, but this went really beautifully with the lamb. I'd put this in the Top 5 wines I've had since I started working for this company. (Shameless Business Pitch: Let me know if you're interested in ordering a bottle!)

Spiced Boneless Leg of Lamb with Pomegranate Glaze

1 boneless butterflied leg of lamb, about 3 pounds
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Penzey's French Viniagrette seasoning mix (it has rosemary, I figured I could throw it in there; if you have dried rosemary in the house throw a tablespoon of that in instead)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup basalmic vinegar

Mix together the garlic powder, Penzey's mix, pepper, and thyme. Take out 1 teaspoon and reserve it for the glaze. Add the salt to the remaining mix. Rub the lamb with the olive oil, sprinkle the spice mixture over it, and put in the fridge to marinate for at least 12 hours (or overnight).

At some point during the day, combine the pomegranate juice, molasses, and reserved spice mix in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it's reduced by about half. (This took quite a lot longer than the suggested 30 minute on the recipe card, btw.) Take it off the heat, let it cool to room temperature, and stir in the basalmic vinegar.

(I'm going to try making this with pomegranate molasses next time; since it's already super-reduced pomegranate juice, I'm guessing that I could thin it with a little water, then add the spices and a bit of sweetener. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.)

About 2 hours before you're ready to eat, casually mention to your husband that tonight's dinner is going to be cooked on the grill. Hope that he doesn't notice it's 7 degrees outside.

This went on a 400-degree grill and took about 30 minutes to cook, which got the internal temperature up to about 125 (rare to medium-rare). Brush the lamb with 1/4 cup of the glaze in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Let the meat rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

**If you like your lamb a little less rare you could tack on another 5 minutes, but for goodness' sake don't cook it all the way through. Well-done lamb is tough and dry and tasteless no matter what you've done to it up to that point.

To serve, slice the lamb thinly and serve the extra glaze on the side. To go with this, I made rice with pine nuts and currants, and steamed some green beans.