Does anyone cook Lamb?

[sushi]

I'm making Roast leg of Lamb for Easter and was wondering how you season it before roasting.  Thanks

[MikeW]

I am not a cook by any stretch of the imagination - but roast leg of lamb has been my favourite food always.

My choice is just to make puncture holes with a sharp knife, and insert bits of garlic before cooking. Amen.

I know many other versions, but they take away from the taste of the lamb IMHO.
But then, I don't even use mint sauce. Just lamb, lamb, lamb, and hopefully the roast potatoes and roast onions that will come out of the oven with it.

What time shall I be there?

Cheers,

Mike

[sushi]

Thanks Mike.  There is always room for 1 more I love garlic ans I don't do the mint jelly either.  My mother always made the best lamb when I was a kid, and my husband and kids hate it, so I'm using Easter as an excuse to make it.  Of course I'll have ham for the lamb haters One of my biggest regrets is not getting my mothers recipes.  She always made the best roasts and meatloaf. 

[karen J]

Sushi, HI, I'm making a LOL for Easter too. It's been awhile since I made one, so I don't know how well it's going to go over with the kids.

I do what Mike W says, & also slather it with Olive oil and sprinkle generously with Herbs De Provence, salt, & pepper. Rub that all in and then roast. Yum

My hubby of British descent turned me on to chopped mint in vinegar as a sauce. I was brought up on mint jelly, so when I tried the not-sweet vinegar version I was hooked.  I suspect a lot of Brits (ala Graham Kerr) think that it's dull and old fashioned. But it's new and fabulous for me.

Enjoy your lamb, hope it comes out great.

PS- Good idea! I'll get some Ham in case the kids hate the lamb.

[LeeAnne151]

I hated it as a kid but tried some steaks recently. I used garlic and rosemary as seasoning in addition to salt and pepper. I thought it was delicious but DH hated it.

[maryvonne]

Hi Sushi,

I do what Mike says and baste it with a mixture of butter  melted in some hot water with fresh minced  parsley. It's the way my mother did it and it's very nice. Otherwise I'm with Mike on the roasted potatoes onions etc. I love lamb also.

Maryvonne

[sushi]

Thats funny...I saw that mint vinegar sauce in a bottle today at the store.  I have to go back Saturday for a few things I think I'll pick it up.  How do you guys roast your potatoes?  That is another thing my mother used to make awesome that I have not mastered.  I'm making the lamb in a rotisserie so the potatoes won't be cooking in the juices like my mother made.  So how would I make them?

[Kittyzee]

I buy red skinned potatoes and put them in a bean pot with a lid.  I rub them with olive oil, put sprigs of rosemary in with them and sprinkle with kosher or a course salt.  Very easy, simple, and delicious!

[Mikey]

I never liked lamb until we got the below recipe from a friend.  Here's what the fetching one does with her lamb:

4-5 lb.        Leg of Lamb, boneless   
                 Lemon Juice   
1 C            Onion, finely chopped   
½ C           Parsley, Chopped   
1½ tsp       Salt   
½ tsp         Basil   
½ tsp         Marjoram   
1-2 cloves   Garlic, crushed (to taste)   
15 oz          Beef Broth   
1               Bay Leaf   

4lbs            Yukon Potatoes
 
   
1 Marinate lamb over night in lemon juice.
2 Wipe lamb and fill with the combined herbs.
3 Quarter Yukon Gold potatoes and put into the bottom of the roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sprinkle on some garlic powder.  Then pour fresh lemon juice over the top (about one lemon's worth). 
4 Roll lamb over herb filling and tie together in several places. Place in roasting pan fat side up on top of potatoes. Add the bay leaf and the broth.
5 Roast at 325° for approximately 30 minutes per pound.
6 When the lamb is done, check the potatoes for doneness.  The lamb needs to sit for 20 minutes before cutting, so you have 20 extra minutes for the taters to cook, if they need it (which they probably won't).  You can also squeeze another lemon's worth of juice over the top of them just before serving.
7 Pour drippings, fat and all, into a blender and blend for gravy.
   
Preparation time: 8 hours
Cooking time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Ready in: 3 hours

[maryvonne]

Sounds wonderful Mikey. I will have to give that a try. Thanks

Maryvonne

[Esther]

Love lamb. My mom used to do a LOL every so often. Other than it being rather fat, I love the flavor of the meat. Even the crispy edges are wonderful.

[Viv]

New Zealand is famous for its lamb, it is exported all over the world. They say it has a unique taste, I don't know about that because its all I have ever eaten. Even when I was growing up in England we only ever bought NZ lamb.

I roast mine pricked with garlic, sprinkled with sea salt and 5 sprigs of rosemary draped across it. If it's a leg of lamb I like it rare, if it's a forequarter (shoulder) I like it slow roasted and over cooked, the meat falls to pieces. I grill premium chops for 10 mins with only salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Yup, I love lamb too!

[karen J]

Viv, I love the chops too.

My favorite chef (Jacques Pepin) sprinkles them with S & P, olive oil, and SAVORY. Not too much, but just enough. Marinate for 20 minutes or so before grilling. They come out so delicious! It's one of our favorite meals.

Our Lamb was wonderful. One kid liked it, the other hated it, and it was the opposite of what I thought would happen. Good thing I had the ham too.

I also love Lamb the way the Greeks do it. Any style of Greek-flavored lamb (many exist) is just delicious!

[sushi]

My Lamb came out awesome.  I put the slits in and put garlic in, sprinkled with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  This year I popped it in the oven at 475 to brown and seal juices in and put it in the rotisserie.  It was great, thanks for all the tips.  My Easter meal was a great success.  Speaking of Greeks.  I worked in a Greek restaraunt and heard that the bossesd were doing some prep for their hiliday in the back.  I went back and there was a lamb walking around the kitchen.  I couldn't watch...I had to leave  :'( :'(