Leg of Lamb

[Robin]

Hello Everyone,

So for Thanksgiving we decided to not have Turkey. Yeah, supposedly thats tradition. But we've been having Turkey all year long for cookouts. So we want something different for tday. I've bought a leg of lamb (Does have the bone) AND two ducks. I need to know how to cook these.
I'm a simple woman and I don't like a lot of fuss in the kitchen. So if you've got some recipe's even a 5 year old would understand, let me know.

[Andy M.]

Think of roast lamb as if it were roast beef. You can cook it to medium rare or medium, etc. as you would cook a beef roast, then carve it off the bone.

Rosemary and garlic go very well with roast lamb. You can chop them up and use them with olive oil to marinate the lamb before roasting. You can also make slits in the meat and push the rosemary and garlic mixture into the holes to flavor the meat internally.

Ducks have a lot of fat under the skin that will melt off into the roasting pan. It's best to have something in the bottom of the roasting pan to absorb the grease so it won't burn and smoke during roasting.

[Robin]

Thanks Andy. What are cooking times/temp? And what can I put in the bottom to absorb the grease?

[Andy M.]

For the lamb, preheat the oven to 425F. Prepare the lamb and put it in the oven for 20 minutes then turn the temperature down to 350F and continue to roast until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 145F.

For the duck, place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Pierce the skin all over with a sharp fork or knife so the fat will run off.

Pour a couple of cups of boiling water over the bird. let it run into the pan. Follow the cooking temperatures and times for the lamb. Remove the duck when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

[justplainbill]

Cardamom,Cumin & Coriander rub with a pomegranite marinade?

[MostlyWater]

Actually, it's doubtful that the Pilgrims ate turkey. It's more likely they had fish and squash and corn.

[Selkie]

And as for the ducks, they're not like eating chicken! The breasts are the only part to serve. Not even the thighs or legs are worth messing with. Everything except the breasts are tough and stringy, and even those need to be cooked just right.

[jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by Selkie

And as for the ducks, they're not like eating chicken! The breasts are the only part to serve. Not even the thighs or legs are worth messing with. Everything except the breasts are tough and stringy, and even those need to be cooked just right.

Oh, I'm afraid I just have to disagree with you about the duck. Lamb and duck are my favorite meats. I confess that I've never cooked a whole duck, BUT we do duck legs at least twice a month. Love 'em. We also get and cook duck breast but the cost is very high so it's a rare treat.

If you are finding that they legs are tough or stringy, I'd venture to guess that they are overcooked. Duck should be cooked on the rare side (as compared to chicken.) For that matter, lamb is best served medium rare. More towards the rare side than the medium side, IMO. Yum.

[Linda Lee]

Lamb...I just love it! I have had couscous with lamb, hummus and veggie stew for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's perfect...just takes a while to cook it North African style. Adding green grapes at the table, that's our twist...so good! My son-in-law called Monday. He's trying to find a couscous pot to give my DD for Christmas. He should have started a bit earlier! I gave him a site that sells them, but with shipping it'll take a while. DD's trying to learn how to cook it...should have learned before she moved to another city.

[jet]

Originally Posted by Selkie

And as for the ducks, they're not like eating chicken! The breasts are the only part to serve. Not even the thighs or legs are worth messing with. Everything except the breasts are tough and stringy, and even those need to be cooked just right.

I have to disagree. IMO, the leg quarters are the only parts worth eating.