My brother in law Mike Cleary*, publisher and editor of the Will County Farmers Weekly Review roasted a leg of lamb that was pure gustatory poetry bordering on the pornographic. www.farmersweekly.net
Bone-in, Frenched, five pounds trimmed of fat - this was a leg that could have danced with Fred Astair ( read Joe Epstein's Fred Astair), but served the Hickeys, the Clearys, the Holms, and the delicate and beautiful Miss Terry Sullivan.
Conversation matched the bounty of the festive board! One of my nephew's pals joined us - the young lad happened to be a Trekkie the New Generation! Jesus, I hated that show back in 1966. Never understood the appeal, though countless devotees have tried to balance my TV viewing diet of Simpsons, Have Gun will Travel, Roller Derby ( Darby in the U.K.) and at one time Michelle Leigh's weather broacasts on Fox WFLD 32 with goofball and faux-phisticated plots of Star Trek in all of its manifestations.
Not a chance.
I hated every crew, captain, and configuration of the United Star Ship Enterprise from Kirk to Picard to the Fat Guy I can't recall.
However, Young Phill, an African American Pre-Med student and Francophile, offered to treat me to several bits of Star Trek Humor that got my craggy, masculine mug to bounce up in a smile! 'Mr. Hickey, you hate Star Trek, I hear. Check these out -
Question: How many ears does Picard have?
Answer: Three. A right ear. A left ear. And a final front ear.
Question: What did the blonde Klingon say?
Answer: "It was a good day to dye."
Question: What is Thomas Riker’s dating philosophy?
Answer: "If at first you don’t succeed, try Troi again."
Thomas Riker, that's the fat guy! Near micturated my Munsingwears!
These Phil found on a website for smart kids called Neatorama!
I love this place - this is the minutiae needed by the bright and faux bright scholars of the internet!
Not since the bumptious Sun Times cashiered the worthy Zay Smith have I enjoyed the charms of pointless, yet necessary information. Get Thee There!
Click my post title to neatorama or here
http://www.neatorama.com/* Mikes Leg of Lamb is a version for this one by Chef Mike White - Too Yummy, by Half!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/10/earlyshow/living/recipes/main4934084.shtml
6 oil packed anchovy fillets, drained and blotted with paper towels
3 large whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small bone-in leg of lamb (about 5 pounds without the bone)
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large rib celery, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cups dry white wine
Preheat the oven to 475. In a food processor, combine the anchovies, garlic, thyme, rosemary, orange zest and olive oil and process into a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using a small paring knife, make 1 1/2 inch deep slits all over the lamb. Spread the herb paste all over the lamb, working it into the slits; season the lamb with salt and pepper. Using seven or eight long pieces of kitchen string, tie the roast at 1 inch intervals. Scatter the onion, carrot and celery in the bottom of a roasting pan just large enough to hold the lamb and lay the meat on top. Reduce heat to 375. Roast for 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours until an instant-read thermometer, inserted in the center of the thickest part of the meat, registered 140 degrees to 145 degrees. For medium-rare, cook to 135. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, tent it loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, set the roasting pan over high heat. Pour in the wine and bring the liquid to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Strain it into a small sauce pan, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the vegetables. Skim the fat from the surface and boil until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 20 minuets, then pour it into a gravy boat.
Remove the kitchen string from the lamb and cut the meat across the grain into thin slices. Serve at once with the sauce.
Serve with sauted Green Beans almondine.
