A couple of years ago, while we lived in Virginia, our friends, Starr and Sean, hosted an Easter dinner at their house for those of their friends who, like them, didn't have family in the area with whom they could spend the holiday. I remember waking up that Easter morning feeling melancholy and nostalgic, missing my family and remembering the giddiness of being a child on Easter morning, skittering through the house, checking behind the sofa and the open front door, hoping to be the first to score their basket of goodies.
But by the end of that day at Starr and Sean's house, after that perfectly herbed lamb that shall be forever etched in my tastebuds' memory, after the light and easy conversation that only occurs with dear friends, after the achey cheeks and side cramps from laughing too hard, I realized that some friends are family and we were blessed to have such "family" around us.
This year we have the blessing of spending Easter with Shawn's family. Ever since that dinner at Starr and Sean's, I've had this conviction that no Easter dinner is quite complete without lamb somewhere in the mix. So this year I've volunteered to shock and awe the family with a lamb roast. Mind you, I've never done one before; my expectations aren't high. Therefore, if you have any recipes that you would like to share, I would be more than grateful.
I wish you all a very safe and happy Easter; we'll see you back here Monday!
I love lamb and lucky for me, it's cheap here in France. I think the keys are to not cook it as well-done as American recipes often call for. The French salt a leg of lamb, rub it with "herbes de provence" (mixture of rosemary and thyme could substitute)and stud it with lots of garlic cloves (cut cloves in half, poke slits in meat with a knife and push the garlic in lengthwise).
ReplyDeleteShaelagh, thank you so much for this comment! It helped so much. I ended up taking your rosemary and thyme advice and just rubbed the meat with olive oil, garlic, and the spices. I didn't do an actual leg, but a butterflied leg instead, and it turned out beautifully! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteGlad it worked. It was so beautiful here that we just had to eat outdoors, so we did our lamb shish-kabob style on the grill (same seasonings!) It was delicious. I made this rice on the side: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/arroz_verde_green_rice.aspx
ReplyDeleteI share the recipe because it's one of my favorites, loved by my husband who normally isn't crazy about rice. You can substitute all kinds of herbs (I've done it with just a big bunch of parsley and a bit of dill, for instance.)