In article >,
Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> I just bought a small lamb roast ‹ $22 at $7/lb. <cough> So you can
> see it's just a little over three pounds. It looks wonderful ‹ I don't
> know what they cut from it to make it this size but I feel fortunate to
> have it * it has only the shank bone going through the middle of it.

Oh, man. Are you ever in for a treat.

> I have never in my borned days cooked (from raw) lamb. (A couple months
> ago I heated some already-roasted lamb from TJ. That's as close to
> cooking it as I've ever come.) I had some samples of leg of lamb at my
> food co-op last week and it was seriously delicious.
>
> Does a hot start and a slow finish apply to a lamb roast? I'd love to
> see the outside of it nice and brown, but at 3#, will it have enough
> time in a slow oven to brown if I don't start it hot?

Hot start and slow finish'll do just fine. Otherwise just do it at
325-350F for about 40 minutes per pound. (I like my lamb medium. Your
lamb may vary.)

> My plan is to KISS * rosemary is my herb of choice for sprinkling on top
> of it. Do I want to slather on some olive oil first?

I don't usually bother. Rosemary's a good choice. Don't forget to
roast a head of garlic with it!

> BTW, I don't think I'll be cooking this for a while ‹ maybe not until
> next week, in fact. I have to consult with my hostess about this * she
> may not be interested in lamb for Easter dinner.

I bought a nice hogget (year-old lamb) forequarter (shoulder) to roast
for tomorrow. Will do potatoes, carrots and butternut squash in with
the meat, and do peas and gravy to go with it. OH man.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases