want to try

 have tried

Wonderful recipe. I corkscrewed the leg of lamb and tied it as recommended by Zuni Cafe owner Judy Rodgers. I let the lamb sit uncovered and seasoned in the refrigerator for a couple of days. What came out of the oven was magical. So tender and perfectly cooked mid-rare. The piment d'espelette is the perfect seasoning, giving the lamb a smoky, earthy flavor. Well worth the investment to own a copy!

Interesting about leaving the lamb uncovered in the fridge. Heston Blumenthal does exactly the same thing with steak. He says that the process dries out the meat a bit which intensifies the flavour.

I own this book, though I haven't delved into it as yet. "Uncovered in the fridge" is a process of "dry aging"- an effective method of intensifying flavor and tenderizing meats. Before Cryovac packaged “wet aging” was implemented as the supermarket standard, most meat was dry aged. Safe and proper dry aging ideally requires closely regulated temperature and humidity. Home refrigerators are generally not capable of achieving this environment- especially when a kitchen refrigerator is utilized. Its temperature will fluctuate in direct proportion to the frequency of door openings and the length of time the door is open. Caution and good judgment here will prevent spoiling the meat uncovered in the fridge. I use an alternate second refrigerator to minimize this effect and have had excellent results dry aging some larger beef up to 7 days.
I have always been baffled by vastly differing methods for meat roasting put forth by food writers. They tell us: -Roast at a high temperature to sear, then reduce the temperature to finish. -Roast at 500 degrees for 1 hour, then turn the heat off and keep the oven door closed for 2 or 3 hours more. -Roast low and slow, then increase to high temperature to brown. One claimant even told me that he roasted a whole turkey at 165 degrees continually over night! When questioned, his explanation was- the low temperature allowed hands-off roasting; the turkey would be perfectly moist and thoroughly cooked. It couldn’t possibly overcook because its temperature would never exceed the target 165 degrees. I personally doubt the wisdom of this due to the length of time the turkey would be exposed to a temperature that would foster a perfect environment for bacteria growth! Most times, you just have to go with what you know.

Chef_ub I think you are spot on. I would also worry about odors the meat might take on while it is uncovered in the fridge with all sorts of other foods. Hmmm, I have been lobbying for a second fridge. Maybe I can use this argument to convince my husband :D