Roast Leg of Welsh Lamb with Ginger Honey Cider and Rosemary

Source

Author: Bob and Robin Young

Source: www.britishfood.about.com

Web Page: www.rockinrs.com, http://boisefoodieguild.wordpress.com

Comments

This is a wonderful way to prepare and serve a leg of lamb. I have tried to "translate" the terms where necessary as this recipe comes directly from Wales. Enjoy.

Author Notes

The word Ides comes from the Latin word "Idus" and means "half division" especially in relation to a month. It is a word that was used widely in the Roman calendar indicating the approximate day that was the middle of the month. The term ides was used for the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th day of the other months. The Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars and a military parade was usually held.

In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. The group included 60 other co-conspirators according to Plutarch. According to Plutarch, a seer had foreseen that Caesar would be harmed not later than the Ides of March and on his way to the Theatre of Pompey (where he would be assassinated), Caesar met that seer and joked, "The ides of March have come", meaning to say that the prophecy had not been fulfilled, to which the seer replied "Ay, Caesar; but not gone." This meeting is famously dramatized in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, when Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to "beware the Ides of March."

Degree of Difficulty

Degree of Difficulty: Easy

Oven Temperature: 375°F

Servings

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Ingredients
2	inch	piece of fresh Ginger Root, peeled
3¼	lbs	leg of Welsh Lamb
		Small sprigs of fresh rosemary

1	oz	Honey
1	oz	Butter, melted
9	oz	unsweetened Cider

Directions

1	Heat the oven 375°F/190°C/gas mark 5
2	Cut the ginger into slivers. Using a sharp knife, make small cuts in the leg of lamb and insert the ginger and rosemary. Mix the butter and honey together and spread this over the lamb.
3	Put in a roasting tin, pour in half of the cider and cover loosely with foil. Roast in the oven allowing 25 minutes per pound.
4	When three-quarters cooked, 100°F, remove the foil and continue cooking, basting frequently with the juices from the roasting tin (pan), adding more cider if necessary.
5	Remove the joint (roast) from the oven, lift out of the pan, removing any excess fat, and pour in the rest of the cider to deglaze the pan. Boil this up well, return the non-fatty juices and thicken with a little arrowroot if you wish.
6	A well seasoned mixed mash of carrot, parsnip, turnip and potatoes tastes perfect with the roast leg of lamb.

Cooking Times

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes