Help...cooking times for leg of lamb

[Marie81]

I need some help, I am cooking a leg of lamb for Sunday roast. However my scales are broken and the weight on the label is illegible. I am cooking for four people and want to have it ready for 6pm, any idea how long a standard leg of lamb takes to roast? Any tips would be really appreciated. Many Thanks :)

[mockney piers]

half an hour per pound (hour per kilo) minus a bit if you prefer it pink at 200 C or an extra 5 minutes per pound at 180 if you like slower roasting.

Usual for four I guess would be around 4 pounds/2 kilosish, so aim for about an hour and 45 minutes - 2 hours at a guess, a bit longer if it's on the bone.

Skewer it to check juices if you're unsure, luckily lamb can be served really rather pink so no need to err on the side of caution and overcook, unless you like it that way of course.

[Marie81]

Thanks mockney piers, I have stuck it in at 190 and will go for about 2hrs. As long as I don't over cook it so it's dry then I'll be happy with that. My mother is coming over for dinner so if I ruin it I will never hear the end of it!

[mockney piers]

You have to really frazzle lamb to overcook it as it's a moist meat, remember to spoon juices.

ooh, and rest the meat for at least 15-20 minutes before carving, it took me a while to learn the importance of the rest, but i cannot overstate the difference it makes. Plus now I'm older I'm less impatient :)

[Marie81]

Lamb was lovely thanks mockney piers, did everything you said and even got a thumbs up from my mother :)

[mockney piers]

Happy days :)

[Pickle]

Mockney, you've obviously been watching far too much of the lovely Katie... I'm assuming that's where your roast lamb knowledge stems from? ;-) Although it's possible that lamb is far too common for that show, and the children have been preparing roast pheasant instead...

[mockney piers]

Indeed Pickle, I simply adapted Katie's roast ring-tailed ocelot recipe for Marie's lamb. I left out the penguin feet and black orchid accompaniment.

[mockney piers]

Any excuse