Techniques
Perfect winter roast Welsh Leg of Lamb Winter is the ideal time to enjoy succulent Welsh Lamb raised on the lush, green hills of Wales. Admired by chefs around the globe, Welsh Lamb is a real treat which deserves to be prepared and cooked to perfection. Preparing and cooking a leg of Welsh Lamb is just one of the many skills that apprentices learn when working towards a Foundation Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery and Craft Cuisine Level 2. Cambrian Training Company, delivering apprenticeships for the Food & Drink industry among many other sectors, provides a few tips on how to prepare a leg of Welsh Lamb purchased from your local butcher. Using a sharp boning knife, remove any excess fat and sinew from the outside of the joint. Then, from the side of the joint with the largest surface, begin to cut around the bone, staying as close to it as possible taking care not to waste any of the meat. Once at the ball and socket joint, grip both ends of the leg and snap the bone firmly to release the grip on the socket. Cut around the socket to release fibres still holding the bone in place, then remove the bone and place to one side for making the sauce. Leave the rest of the bone in place. As the lamb roasts, the meat will recede, leaving the bone showing at the end of the leg to enhance the presentation of the cooked joint. Using butcher’s string, tie a piece around the leg, starting at the end and pull tight. Repeat this process every inch down the joint until you reach the end. Place the joint and the bone that you removed on a baking tray, season, stud with garlic, rosemary and anchovies. For pink lamb, roast for 1 hour 10 mins and rest or for well-done lamb roast for 1 hour 30 mins. Regularly baste during roasting until a dark crust has formed on the outside and the inside temperature is at about 60 °C. Then leave to rest.
Chef’s Top Tips •
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Fancy a different take on the trad roast? Try stuffing your leg of lamb with welsh Pantysgawn goats cheese, spinach and pine nuts.
Use the roasting juices for your sauce by deglazing the pan with wine or port and a little stock. Scratch all the roasted pieces off the bottom of the tray and pass the remaining stock through a sieve into a pan. Reduce by half and thicken by emulsifying one or two knobs of butter whilst the stock is boiling.
For a Moroccan twist, try rubbing the lamb with ras el hanout before roasting and serving with pomegranate and mint cous cous.
Serve with seasonal vegetables and enjoy the perfect roast! For more information about Apprenticeships contact Cambrian Training Company at cambriantraining.com or Tel: 01938 555893.
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