Lamb is available year round with the meat coming in from one source or another. Our own Scotch lamb is a good buy in autumn.
Because the animal is young you’ll find lamb is a very tender meat and all cuts, apart from the scrag end neck and shank, are suitable for roasting. It’s a small animal so you’ll find you can easily recognize the cuts.
Remember lamb goes well with fruit flavours, especially in stuffings and sauces.
Popular roasting joints are shoulder, which can be boned and rolled, and leg, either whole or cut into the shank end and fillet end. Rack of lamb from the best-end is usually sold as cutlets, but if you ask the butcher he will cut it in one piece. This is the cut to use for a lamb guard of honour or crown roast and it’s also good for serving as a small mid-week roast.
Let chilled meat come to room temperature. Then stand lamb on a bed of vegetables such as a carrot and onion cut in thick slices. During roasting the vegetables caramelize at the edges and give flavour and colour to the gravy.
Roast lamb slowly. Set in a roasting tin and place a knob of dripping on top. Roast in an oven heated to 350°F (180°C) or Gas no. 4, allowing 20 minutes per 1 lb (450g) plus 20 minutes. For a boned and rolled joint, allow 25 minutes per 1 lb (450g) plus 25 minutes.
For added flavour make small slits and insert slivers of garlic. Best of all, about 20 minutes before the end of the roasting time spread the fat with about 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly, mint jelly or rowan jelly. The jelly caramelizes and looks and tastes delicious.
Try your roast lamb medium rare for a change. On a meat thermometer the temperature reading should show 180°F (80°C) for well cooked or 160°F (70°C) for medium rare.
Good accompaniments for roast lamb include redcurrant jelly, rowan jelly or mint sauce.
Leftover cold roast lamb can be chopped and used to make shepherd’s pie.