Whole roast lamb

Monday, February 16, 2009

While we have done many events at Wellacres near Moreton in Marsh from dinner parties and barbecues to Sunday roasts and wedding breakfasts, this was the first time we had used the barn in the grounds to accomodate guests.

With a little brightening up, and heating it was transformed into the perfect place for an informal brunch the day after the wedding before guests travelled home.

With snow still evident in the nearby fields, it was a good job there were outdoor gas heaters on hand.

Flowers, above, by the Broadway Florist as used on Friday night were also used for the Sunday here.

The whole lamb which comes from Home Farm, Bredon's Norton is attached to the roaster, then the covers go on making it into a roasting oven.

While this was cooking it was time to put on the mulled wine (if there is anything that can warm up people it is mulled wine) and make the salads.

When cooked, the lamb is lifted up above the cooking zone, the warming plates go on, and I leave it to rest for a good 30 - 45 minutes, ensuring you have tender lamb. Just as the guests arrived for mulled wine, I dropped it back down into the roaster, and lifted the lids on to give it a flash of heat and to crisp the skin.
It was then sliced to order and served with salads:

Celariac and apple remoulade with walnuts.

Cous cous and pearl barley salad - cous cous is the moroccan accompaniment to lamb, and pearl barley also goes so well with lamb (think scotch broth or saddle of lamb with pearl barley risotto), so it seemed natural to put the two together in this salad with roasted peppers, red onions, courgettes, cumin, lemon, herbs and olive oil. The pearl barley was cooked on it's own in chicken stock for around 1 hour and when cold added to the cooked cous cous. Pearl barley salad