Sprout
Sous Chef
I'm trying to nail down the details for our Easter dinner and I have a couple points i need some help with.
I am roasting a leg of lamb and I don't have a large platter. I typically borrow one but I'd like to buy one of my own. I have no idea how large I'll need though. I don't pick the leg up until Saturday evening, so does anyone know the approximate dimensions I should expect for an 8-10 lb leg of lamb?
Also, the recipe I'm using calls for mint and dry red wine. The main flavors of the lamb itself are supposed to be orange peel, tarragon and mint, and the red wine is for a reduction made with the pan drippings that will be served as a sauce alongside. I have 2 people who don't like mint. Any suggestions for a substitute herb or should I just leave out the mint and stick with the tarragon and orange peel?
Finally, dry red wine is a bit vague. We don't drink (but do enjoy dishes prepared with wine) so I'm tempted to just pick up some cheap red cooking wine, but would the dish be better if I actually bought a bottle of wine? I'm not talking about anything fancy here, just supermarket wine. If so, any suggestions on a particular varietel that would work well with this recipe? Will it make a big difference once it is cooked and reduced? I've done wine pairing in restaurants, so I'm not completely ignorant, but I'm not sure if the same concepts carry over to cooking with wine.
I am roasting a leg of lamb and I don't have a large platter. I typically borrow one but I'd like to buy one of my own. I have no idea how large I'll need though. I don't pick the leg up until Saturday evening, so does anyone know the approximate dimensions I should expect for an 8-10 lb leg of lamb?
Also, the recipe I'm using calls for mint and dry red wine. The main flavors of the lamb itself are supposed to be orange peel, tarragon and mint, and the red wine is for a reduction made with the pan drippings that will be served as a sauce alongside. I have 2 people who don't like mint. Any suggestions for a substitute herb or should I just leave out the mint and stick with the tarragon and orange peel?
Finally, dry red wine is a bit vague. We don't drink (but do enjoy dishes prepared with wine) so I'm tempted to just pick up some cheap red cooking wine, but would the dish be better if I actually bought a bottle of wine? I'm not talking about anything fancy here, just supermarket wine. If so, any suggestions on a particular varietel that would work well with this recipe? Will it make a big difference once it is cooked and reduced? I've done wine pairing in restaurants, so I'm not completely ignorant, but I'm not sure if the same concepts carry over to cooking with wine.