How much lamb?
So we'll be having roast lamb for seder dinner Saturday night. Between 12 and 15 people. There will be the other usual seder dishes - hard boiled egg and matzoh ball soup, and roast new potatoes, asparagus, salad and sort of a vegetable kugel-ish patty thing to go with the main. So, yes, lots of food. I have two chunks of lamb - both frozen. The bigger one is about 6 lbs, the smaller one probably 3 to 4 lbs. Do you think the 6 lb. leg would be enough or should I roast both? I am of the more-is-more school of entertaining, but don't want to be looking at leftovers for a week. There are also plenty of desserts.
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Haha. Anyway...only doing the big one now. There was brisket left over from last night and no one can look at food today so I think we'll be ok. Son is cooking it a la Batali with green olives, prunes and shallots. Will report. Don't think anyone will starve.
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re: ChiliDude
Oooo sorry! I guess I was so glad to have all that behind me that I got amnesia. Anyway I did only use the one large leg and it was plenty. Had a momentary conniption when it was defrosted and I discovered that the "boneless" leg was actually not boneless. Don't know why I assumed it was - it wasn't mis-labelled. But whatever - we deboned it, and it was still more than enough. As I said, my son cooked it using a recipe from Molto Italiano, with prunes, shallots and green olives. It was probably just slightly overdone to my taste (seder meals are hard to predict), but it was still really delicious. Served roasted asparagus, new potatoes, salad and the other usual suspects for Passover (kugel, matzoh ball soup, etc.). I did warm up and serve the leftover brisket but it was left almost untouched. When will I ever learn that there is always more than triple the amount of food at a seder dinner than what is actually needed? Desserts were a coffee cream filled banana roll cake and fresh fruit. I sent home a big package of leftovers with my son and we still had plenty to eat for a couple of days. There were 14 of us at the table but one was a vegan (unbeknownst to me beforehand) - we convinced her to eat a vegetable patty that contained egg because the eggs were from my own chickens and I assured her they are very happy chickens who voluntarily give up their eggs without any coercion.
Cannot tell you how relieved I am that it's all over. So much work, so much company, I feel like I had PTSD after everyone left. But, as I explain to my non-Jewish friends, this is our version of Christmas madness. You love it but it's really too much of a muchness. At least there are no gifts involved.
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It is better to have too much than not enough. Why? Because people will remember the 'not enough' and talk about it behind your back...FOREVER. They won't remember the 'too much.' I know that from 2 cultures, Jewish and Italian. Send leftovers home with guests as they leave. They may remember that...or not.
A freylakhn Pesach, Buona Pasqua Ebraica
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gingershelley
Apr 6, 2012 11:39 AM
I think a good rule of thumb is 1 lb. per person if it is a leg and you have the bone in. 1/2 lb per person raw if you have boneless.
I would tend to think you would want to cook both, since the 6#, even if boneless just barely gives you the low end of amount if you have 12 guests, and not enough if you have 15. If you have bone-in - moot point and you must do both.
Even if you have 'alot' of food, I would hate to run short of the main dish before everyone is served.
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greygarious
Apr 6, 2012 11:35 AM
The 6#-er should squeak by if it is boneless. Reheated lamb can be disappointing so in your position, I woild be inclined not to use both.
