Capozzelli Di Angnelli (Italian Lamb's Head)

Ingredients

• 1 lamb, head skinned and cleaned (not frozen! Fresh from butcher whole, or cut in half and tied back together with twine while parboil)
• 1/2 cup butter (melted or preferably room temperature)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano or dried oregano, rubbed in your hands until powder
• 1/2 teaspoon morton's coarse kosher salt, Rock or coarse sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine or white wine (I prefer white like a chardonnay because it reduces nicely)

Directions

1. 1

   Remove eyes and tongue of lamb's head.

2. 2

   Parboil lamb’s head and tongue fully submerged in pot of boiling salted water covering head for 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Leave tongue to simmer tongue for 20-30 minutes longer in salted water; remove, run under cold water, remove the outer tongue skin or can be sliced into small slivers after cooked.

4. 4

   Return tongue to lamb's mouth. Make a marinade by combining Butter (½ the amount), Olive oil (½ the amount), red wine, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper ingredients; pour over head while warm and marinate for 1 hour, turning occasionally.

5. 5

   Bake in a 325F oven for 1 1/2 hours, basting and turning over every 20-30 minutes.

6. 6

   Remove from oven and turn oven broiler on high.

7. 7

   Take the remaining butter (melted) and olive oil with a minced clove of garlic, salt and splash of wine mixed together.

8. 8

   Pour half of this mixture onto the head put into the broiler about 6 inches from flame for about 5-10 minutes until minced garlic becomes lightly browned, turn over put the remaining mixture. Again until lightly browned.

9. 9

   Remove from broiler. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.

10. 10

    Place on a bed of parsley, risotto or spaghetti of your choice. Decorate with flower petals.

11. 11

    I prefer spaghetti with pesto sauce in fork rolls* and steamed Asparagus. *(spaghetti rolled up in little rolls with a fork and placed on the dish) Excellent with fresh lightly toasted garlic bread.

12. 12

    Goes well with any homemade Italian wine or chardonnay, pinot grigio or if you must have your red wine, pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon. Chianti would be too astringent for this dish.