Leg of lamb baked with a crust of fresh herbs is a typically Provencal  dish and here, Chef Philippe Joffroy shows us how to make it the way he  serves it in his prestigious restaurant, Château de Trigance.  It is  said that there are three foundations to Provencal cooking: olive oil,  garlic, and aromatic herbs, and this recipe makes liberal use of all  three.  Garlic and onions are crushed together with parsley to make a  paste and is used to stuff the leg of lamb, which is seared in butter,  baked, covered in bread crumbs, and placed back in the oven to make a  golden crust.

Provencal chefs and cooks are also very particular in making use of  fresh and local ingredients. Chef Joffroy serves this lamb dish on a bed  of fresh Provencal vegetables consisting of carrots, zucchinis and  cucumbers. The vegetables are cut lengthwise into thin strips about 3 mm  or ¼ inch to resemble Tagliatelle noodles, which are traditional type  of Italian pasta similar in flatness to fettuccine only wider.  This  gives this traditional French dish an Italian twist. The tagliatelle  vegetables are blanched and sautéed in the sauce used to sear the leg of  lamb to give it a savory flavor.  Chef Joffroy is careful not to  overcook the vegetables to make it “al dente,” leaving just enough  crunchiness to give the dish an interesting texture. Fresh thyme,  another popular Provencal herb, is used to decorate the dish and give it  a fragrant aroma. Serve this with a bottle of Haut-Medoc for a truly  gastronomic experience.

• 
  
• 1 gigot (leg of lamb)
• 
  
• about 4 1/2 lbs.
• 
  
• 2 garlic cloves
• 
  
• 1 bunch of flat parsley
• 
  
• 1 shallot
• 
  
• 3.5 oz. breadcrumb
• 
  
• 3 ½ tablespoons butter
• 
  
• 3 carrots
• 
  
• 3 zucchinis
• 
  
• 3 leeks (white only)
• 
  
• 3 cucumbers