24 November 2022

Happy Lambsgiving

Sorry if I've told this story before. Walt and I eat lamb — a leg of lamb — every Thanksgiving. That will include today. Nearly 30 years ago, we decided that we'd prefer to have lamb for Thanksgiving (a holiday in late November in the U.S.) and save our holiday turkey (or other bird) for Christmas. When we lived in the U.S., having lamb for one holiday made us not forget to cook lamb at least once a year. Besides, in France, it's hard to find a whole turkey in late November. Whole turkeys are only available at Christmastime, unless you get yourself really organized and special-order one a week or so in advance.

Here's this years leg of lamb (un gigot d'agneau in French). We had the butcher de-bone it and then roll it and tie it up. It's a lamb roast — un gigot désossé, roulé, et ficelé.It will be easy to carve, and we'll eat it all through the weekend either sliced, cold, with a home-made mayonnaise, or chopped up and turned into a soup or shephed's pie. Today we'll eat it with some flageolet beans and green mange-tout beans.

     The photo on the left just above shows the lamb roast's bottom, hidden side. On the right is how it will go into the oven, fat-side up, and be served after it's cooked. I was surprised that a leg of lamb prepared this way cost as little as it did — just 49 euros. It weighs 1.7 kilos. That's about 13 euros per pound. Last year's bone-in gigot d'agneau, which I got from the same butcher, was heavier and cost over 60 euros. I wonder how much that bone would weigh. You can see it and the accompaniments we had with it in this slideshow that I published 12 months ago.

14 comments:

  1. In Burgos (Spain) cost 15€ kilo.

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  2. Is that Spanish or New Zealand lamb?

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    1. Spanish lamb one year old. Only fed with milk.

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    2. Sound fantastic. Why can't I get that here?

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  3. Looks perfect! Enjoy your feast. Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. We had turkey and ham. We went to Cathy's husband's childhood home. Dinner was mostly cooked by his 93 year old grandmother! I made cranberry relish, squash casserole and a caramel cake.

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  4. Leg of lamb and osso bucco - two of my favorites. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Walt and to all your readers.

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    1. I hope you and Norma and family are having a good Thanksgiving weekend.

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    2. We were 11 at table, including our 4 grandchildren, for Thanksgiving dinner - butternut squash soup, turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, dressing, turkey gravy, roasted vegetables, cornbread pudding, turnip, cranberry sauce, and rolls. For dessert, one of Norma's apple pies (we use Cortland and Empire apples) and a chocolate bourbon pie. And a nice chat on Zoom with our mutual friend in Paris. As we get older, we cherish these chances to get together with our children and their littles.

      Sounds like your leg of lamb came out great.

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  5. I look forward to the after photos! Hope you two (and everyone who sees these comments!) are enjoying your day. My pumpkin pie is in the over, and I'm about to get my turkey read...after Wordle LOL

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    1. We had a really nice Thanksgiving day. Today, leftovers. They will be just as good, I hope and think.

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  6. chm - Happy Thanksgiving to you and Walt. And to the nice readers of this blog.

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