Do you really go by the book??

[tim]

Slow cooked leg of Lamb. Insert Garlic & Anchovies all over. Fry till well browned.

By which time the Garlic has popped out of its slots & is burnt, & the Anchovies have nothing of their former selves.

So, might it not be better to fry first & then add the bibs & bobs?

And -  add Wine & Water - to cover? - that's a lot of Wine? So - half fill & turn later?

[tim]

[1066]

not really sure but it sounds absolutely delicious! makes my feta and pumpkin pie for tonight look thoroughly dull  :(
Do you make small slits in the lamb to pop the garlic and anchovies in, that way they may not fall out? And maybe it doesn't mean half wine and half water, otherwise it might have to be re-named drunken lamb or drunken tim  ;D 

[tim]

Yes - DEEP slits, & they still pop out.

[hopalong]

I pop garlic and rosemary into the slits.  Must try anchovies for a change.

[Hyacinth]

puzzled.....whose cookbook is this, Tim?....the inserted anchovies & garlic I can understand for a normal roast but patently doesn't work with this recipe.....and then to add all that wine & water to cover & effectively, well, braise it? Why bother with an expensive leg when one could do the same with cheaper pieces of meat ???

hmmm....not a recipe I'm tempted to follow :-\

[PurpleHeather]

You should not have fried it first, it does work if you put the meat straight into the oven covered with oiled foil then lift the foil off for the last 20 minutes.

A dusting of paprika helps to brown off if you want to try that too.

Not too sure about the anchovies, I do it with rosemary and garlic and like my lamb to be fairly well done.

The wine, I would have added to the meat juices whilst the lamb was resting to make the sauce.

I am sure that there are some cookery writers who simply write out things just to fill pages. I have read loads of recipes I know wont work, like putting honey on to roast gammon. It burns, honey should only be used at a later stage or as a glaze.

[Barnowl]

Agree re the browning sequence - unless you push them in really deep the bits tend to pop out.

And -  add Wine & Water - to cover? - that's a lot of Wine? So - half fill & turn later?

Perhaps use a closer fitting casserole dish?

[tim]

Yes - all good stuff.

I waffled between a World Gourmet recipe, the 2 Fat Ladies & Nigella for 7 hour lamb.

Pot was too shallow - too lazy to start with a deeper one.
Close fitting? Sealed it with foil. But it should have been basted again - I went to bed before it was finished.
Mistake no.3 - used the quartered lemon - much too lemony. If wanted, a bit of preserved lemon would have been better.
Too watery so thickened it, with less of the lemony juice.
Veg, not surprisingly, had lost their identity. So added some fresh.
Haricot beans - the reason for the stew - Wife's orders - added late but still chalky after 2 1/2 hours simmer. I prefer cans!

In the end, very nice. But could do better!!

[Hyacinth]

back to the anchovies Tim. Apres la deluge of yesterday I walked the 4+ miles to my appt in brilliant sunshine today & pondered about anchovies (as you do!!) And thought about Jennifer of the 2 Fat Ladies who Spread the Word of the use of anchovies in meat dishes, something I've always done since I started cooking but I'd not before heard/seen  a tele cook extolling their virtues.....(tho a fish they disintegrate & 'enrich' the flavour of meat dishes?..)

And I wondered.....if you insert fillets, or part of, into pockets in the lamb, does the flavour infuse through the meat, or stay as a salty pocket in the joint?

PS I bulk-buy my anchovy fillets at Sainsburys - ten cans at a time. Where do you get yours, please?

[tim]

Very seldom use them this way, so blindly assume that it is worthwhile. I can't believe that they infuse the joint, any more than if they were in the liquid.

I only buy a jar at a time - usually from Cooks & Co. Not a lot to choose since thy are all bulk produced in Morocco? Prefer them when they are in Worcestershire Sauce!

And in truth, even better - if different - as boquerones or anchoas?

[daileg]

Tim the garlick would need to be put in a little deeper like you would beef the browning process is essential to locl in the juices of the meat as you will be broiling stop its from being tuff  the anchovies will disapate once cooking begins and add to the overall flavour of the sauce next time add a a table spoon of flour to the bottom of the pan before putting the wine in mix a little wine with then pour over the rest this will thicken the sauce whilst cooking

[tim]

Or write ones own recipe!!

[Hyacinth]

Or write ones own recipe!!

8) We're waiting, Tim...Pasqual Lamb and all that ;D