Roast Leg of Lamb Christmas Downton Abbey Style

Roast Leg of Lamb Christmas Downton Abbey Style

I loved watching the TV series and especially liked head house cook Mrs. Patmore slaving away at a dish in that antiquated kitchen. My favourite passion about cooking today is recreating some of those relic recipes that were once served to aristocratic patrons at fine Inns or estate homes. While touring the Delaware River a few years back. I loved to find these historic Inns and this one was built in 1857 and still is home to the longest continuously operating restaurant/hotel along the Delaware Canal. The tavern and former mule barn area of the Golden Pheasant Inn served as an early commercial building constructed along the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal to serve mercantile traffic. An important gathering place, the tavern was the social hub for farmers, travelers, and later, canal men and vacationers.

At my last visit they were still cooking in the original front of a atrium wood fed fire place that had a baking oven a clock movement hanging open fire wood spit to slow roast different cuts of meats. They used hand hammered copper vessels and early blacksmith hand hammered iron cooking utensils. It also came served in period table ware served by a very experienced Butler Trained waiter. The experience has always stuck with me and recreating this recipe sure was fun. I found my dad’s early 1860’s Boston cookbook and followed the recipe precisely. Armando trimmed the leg and also some loin chops to BBQ. The heirloom fire roasted vegetables made this Fennel Orange Spiced Leg of Lamb Dish Pop! I marinated the Welsh Lamb Leg in Cointreau and Orange marmalade which when reduced became the glaze and au jus.

Glad I saved my dads old hotel porcelain roast platter, sauce tureen table service cutlery. Makes a great Christmas dinner.