I believe that the leg is the most practical section for roasting at home. The cut is a fine one, and it can be carved to good advantage, taking care of many servings. To get the best-shaped slices, cut at right angles to the bone. To do this, grasp the bone in the left hand and start to carve by cutting off a small slice with a slightly scooped-out appearance. Leave about an inch of meat on the shank to cut against. Then cut slices following the curve of the first one and working your way up the leg. Each slice will have a curved appearance as it is cut, but will lie flat on the plate. Begin with the thick side of the leg, then turn and slice the other side in the same manner.
There are various ways of preparing roast leg of lamb, but the one most popular in France is à la boulangère, in which the potatoes arc cooked in the same pan. When sliced truffles are added to the dish, it is called sarladaise, For a more elaborate dish, I would suggestMaintenon, which is done with a purée soubise, or else foreslière, done with a purée of mushrooms.
Gigol d' Agneau à la Boulangère (Roast Leg of Lamb with Vegetables)
Rub a leg of lamb with salt, put it in the roasting pan, and spread with fresh beef drippings or lay over it a good piece of suet. Cook the leg in a moderately hot oven (400° F.) for about 1 hour, turning it to brown well all over. Remove the meat from the pan and discard the fat. Make the gravy and set it aside.
Meanwhile, mix together 6 to 8 potatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick, 1 onion, sliced very thin, and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Season with I teaspoon salt and a little pepper and spread them in the roasting pan. Add enough boiling water barely to cover the vegetables, spread 1 tablespoon butter over the top, and bring to a boil. Place the partially roasted lamb on the vegetables, return the pan to the oven, and continue roasting for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with the reheated gravy.
Gigot d' Agneau Maintenon (Leg of Lamb with Onion Purée)
Roast the leg of lamb as usual. When done, remove it from the oven to stand for about ½ hour. Carve the leg and reform it by putting the slices together with purée soubise (see below), spread thickly, and with sliced truffles. Spread Mornay sauce (see “The Last Touch”) over the leg and sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan. Set the dish on a pan of water and return it to the oven to glaze.
Purée Soubise (Onion Purée)
Make a thick béchamel as follows: Melt ¼ cup butter, add ¼ cup flour, and cook until the flour starts to turn golden. Add 2 cups hoi milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grains of pepper and cook, stirring vigorously, until the sauce is thick and smooth. Continue to cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until it becomes quite thick. There should be about 1 cup.
In another pan melt ¼ cup butter, add 8 large onions, chopped, and cook slowly, stirring, until they arc soft but not brown. Add ½ cup rice, 1 cup boiling water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover closely and cook over low heal for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the water is entirely cooked away. Hub through a line sieve and return to the fire to cook away surplus moisture, stirring briskly to avoid scorching. Add the very thick béchamel sauce and continue to cook, stirring until the purée is smooth and blended.
Gigot d' Agneau Forestière (Leg of Lamb with Mushroom Purée)
Follow the recipe for leg of lamb Maintenon, substituting purée of mushrooms for the purée soubise.
Purée of Mushrooms
Make a thick béchamel as for purée soubise. Clean and mince enough mushrooms to make 1½ cups, squeezing out surplus moisture. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, add the mushrooms. and cook until the moisture is evaporated, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Add the thick béchamel, cooking and stirring until thoroughly combined.
Another way of serving leg of lamb is not, I believe, too familiar to most Americans. It is called à la cuillère, which means with a spoon. In other words, the meat is cooked until it almost falls apart and can be removed from the leg and served with a serving spoon instead of being sliced with a knife. Done correctly, it is succulent and delicious.
Gigot d' Agneau à la Cuillère (Braised Leg of Lamb with a Spoon)
Trim the skin and fat from a leg of lamb. Spread about ½ cup mixed sliced carrots and sliced onions in a roasting pan and add a sprig of parsley, a bay leaf, and a cracked bone of mutton. Put the leg of lamb in the pan and into a moderate oven (375° F .) and cook until the meat is well browned. Add 1 ½ to 2 cups boiling water to prevent burning and cover (he pan with a piece of buttered paper. Reduce the heat to 325° F. and cook for about 5 hours, or until the meat is ready to fall apart, adding more water as needed. Remove the leg to a heated serving dish.
Strain the liquid in the pan and thicken it with arrowroot or cornstarch dissolved in a little water or sherry. Strain the gravy through a fine sieve. Serve the meat with a spoon instead of carving it, accompanied with the gravy.
In the matter of lamb chops, the most highly prized ones arc the loin and rib. but if the lamb is of good quality, the shoulder chops are excellent, too. They are also less expensive, and there is more eat on each chop. When cooked with vegetables, these chops provide a whole meal in one dish, often a great convenience. Here are three ways of preparing shoulder chops that I can recommend very highly.
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