Roast lamb for xmas day - best cut and way to cook?

[AngryFeet]

I have decided to do roast lamb for xmas day as everyone doesn't fancy turkey (only 4 of us eating). Never cooked lamb before except for in the slow cooker (and I want to roast it so I can carve). Is a leg best? Boned or bone in? Can I just get one from Tesco or should I go to the butcher? Any tips on cooking? I can't really slow cook it as I need to cook all the veg etc too so will need the oven on a high temp.

Thanks :)

We nearly always have Lamb at xmas as not great turkey fans. I get a large leg, pour over some olice oil and season with salt and papper, then put a good few sprigs of rosemary in the roasting tin and shove it in the oven for about 2.5 hours. We like it well done, you might want to adjust the cooking time if you prefer it rare.

should have said oven temp is about 180 c.

That sounds great thanks :) Do you keep the bone in? Is it hard to carve if you do?

Yes I keep the bone in and use the end of the bone to hold when carving. I then carve down the way. Hope that makes sense. I think the bone in helps with the flavour.

Fab I will follow your lead then :)

Do you mean you slice the sides rather than the end?

Get thee to a good butcher today (it will be mayhem later in the week). Ask for a boned leg of lamb - offering to come back later if they are busy. Buy some lovely dried apricots. Google Colonial Goose when you get home. You marinade it overnight (I've left it for two/three days) when it's been stuffed with apricots, breadcrumbs, onion etc. and sewn up with butchers' string. It's FAB: easy to carve and everyone will be amazed. Apparently it's very well known in NZ, where it was a pleasant change from lamb I expect!!