Michel Boucher > wrote:

> I want to slow cook it and am prepared to start early on
> whichever day I decide to do this.

Here is a very nice recipe from _Bistro Cooking_ by Patricia Wells,
complete with her comments. It is from a favourite Paris restaurant.

Victor

Gîgot d'agneau à la sept heures Ambassade d'Auvergne
Ambassade d'Auvergne's Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb

Cook lamb for seven hours? For those of us who have religiously
followed the rule that "the only good lamb is a rare lamb," this recipe
is sheer heresy! I first sampled it years ago at Paris's Ambassade
d'Auvergne, and decided that the slow cooking - almost like a pot roast
- really worked well with a large leg of lamb.
By now, I've lost track of the number of places, and number of times
I've prepared this dish. The first time I tried it, I baked the lamb in
our brick-lined bread oven, and the sweet, tender aromas of the lamb
filled our courtyard for the long afternoon. Once, a friend prepared it
for me, using red wine, and it was delicious. Traditionally, the dish
was prepared with tougher mutton, but I find any size leg of lamb can be
used. With this, try a good red, such as Côtes d'Auvergne, or a
Gigondas.

6 medium onions, quartered
6 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and halved
6 imported bay leaves
1 bunch of fresh thyme or several teaspoons dried
1 leg of lamb, bone-in, 6 to 7 pounds (3 to 3.5 kg)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bottles (75 cl each) dry white wine, such as Aligoté
5 pounds (2.5 kg) large boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
5 tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

2. Layer the onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme on the
bottom of a covered nonreactive roaster large enough to hold the lamb.
Place the lamb on top and roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove the
roaster from the oven and generously season the lamb with salt and
pepper. Return it to the oven and roast for 30 more minutes.

3. Remove the roaster from the oven. Leave the oven on. Place the
roaster on top of the stove, slowly pour the wine over the lamb, cover,
and bring the liquid to the boil. Return the roaster, covered, to the
oven and roast the lamb until the meat is very tender, still juicy, and
falling off the bone. Timing will vary according to the size and age of
the leg of lamb, and the type of the roasting pan used. But once the
wine has been added, it will take 4 to 5 additional hours of baking.
Obviously, it is best to check on the lamb from time to time, reducing
the oven heat if the lamb begins to burn or the liquid begins to
evaporate too much.

4. One hour before serving, bury the potatoes and tomatoes in the
liquid. Cover and roast until the potatoes are cooked through, about 1
hour more. The lamb should be very moist and tender and falling off the
bone. As the French say, you should be able to eat it with a spoon.

Yield: 12 servings