Cookin' With Leo

By Leocthasme

Well now, it ain’t often I divulge my family history, but then what the heck, I’m getting’ old so I guess I better tell the world all about me before the world forgets I was even around to have a history. My dear Irish Grandmother’s family dates back to Paddy and the O’Currys. On the other hand it was also my Dear Sweet Italian Fairy Godmother who had raided Caesar’s underground catacombs and ran off with all of his cooking spices stored there, and gave them to my ancient relatives. Of course you know that Paddy’s pa and ma were Romans who got sent to Ireland to take care of the Roman outposts. But poor little Paddy got kidnapped by a bunch of Pirates and it was the O’Currys who rescued him. So Paddy and the O’Currys then ran all the snakes out of Ireland and planted Shamrocks and that is how Ireland became green. Paddy and the O’Currys baptized the Druids in Ireland into Catholics which it mostly still is today. It was Paddy who convinced my early relatives to drop the ‘O’ because anytime someone hollered ‘O’Curry’, most everybody showed up, but when they just hollered ‘Hey Curry’ someone would holler back ‘Which one’?. Paddy was the preacher and the Curry bunch were the cooks which is how come over the years, all the convents an’ monasteries always had good drinks and food. Here is one of those ancient recipes that the Curry bunch came up with, at least it dates back to my great, great, great, however great Aunt Carrie Curry.

All these ingredients were brought up to modern day stuff what comes from a store.

About a 6lb lean leg of lamb
6 oz can undiluted frozen Apple Juice
½ Cup Cider Vinegar
¼ Cup Honey
1 Tblsp Soy Sauce
¼ tsp fresh minced Rosemary
Vegetable Cooking Spray
2 Carrots, scraped, cut julienne (about 2 Cups)
2 Turnips, peeled, cut julienne (about 2 Cups)
Fresh Spinach leaves (optional)
Fresh Rosemary sprigs (optional)

And here is how you do it:

Trim any excess fat from lamb. Place in a large shallow dish. Combine apple juice concentrate and next 4 ingredients; pour over lamb. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hrs or overnight, turning occasionally. Remove lamb from marinade, reserving marinade. Place marinade in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Brush lamb with reserved marinade. Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of lamb, making sure it does not touch bone. Bake Lamb, uncovered, at 350° for 2 hrs, basting lamb frequently with reserved marinade. Shield with aluminum foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 140° (rare) to 160° (medium). Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes before serving. Arrange carrot strips in a vegetable steamer over boiling water; cover and steam 1 minute, add turnips; cover and steam 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain well. Place lamb on a spinach-lined serving platter. Arrange carrots and turnips around lamb, and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs. This should take care of at least a dozen hungry Irish relatives, whoever, and beats hell out of the typical Corned Beef and Cabbage. And a schooner of Guiness will help wash it all down.