The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
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A crown roast of lamb, consisting of 1 tsp crushed dried rosemary
16 to 18 chops and weighing about 16 to 18 peeled new potatoes, all
4½ pounds about 1½ inches in diameter
1 clove garlic, cut into tiny 3 c cooked fresh or frozen peas
slivers (optional) 2 T melted butter
2 tsp salt 6 to9 8 sprigs of fresh mint
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 475°. With the point of a small, sharp knife, make
small incisions a few inches apart in the meaty portions of the lamb, and
insert in them the slivers of garlic, if you are using it. Combine the salt,
pepper and rosemary, and with your fingers pat the mixture all over the
bottom and sides of the crown. To help keep its shape, stuff the crown with
a crumpled sheet of foil and wrap the ends of the chop bones in strips of
foil to prevent them from charring and snapping off. Place the crown of
lamb on a small rack set in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold
it comfortably and roast it in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes.
Then turn down the heat to 400° and surround the crown with the new
potatoes, basting them with the pan drippings and sprinkling them lightly
with salt. Continue to roast the lamb (basting the lamb is unnecessary, but
baste the potatoes every 15 minutes or so) for about an hour to an hour and
fifteen minutes, depending upon how well done you prefer your lamb.
Ideally, it should be served when it is still somewhat pink, and should
register 140° to 150° on a meat thermometer.When the crown is done, carefully transfer it to a large circular platter, remove the foil and let the lamb rest about 10 minutes to make carving easier. Meanwhile, combine the peas with the melted butter and season them with as much salt as is necessary. Fill the hollow of the crown with as many of the peas as it will hold and serve any remaining peas separately. Put a paper frill on the end of each chop bone and surround the crown with the roasted potatoes. Garnish with mint and serve at once. Serves 6 to 8.
To carve the lamb, insert a large fork in the side of the crown to steady it and with a large, sharp knife cut down through each rib to detach the chops. Two rib chops per person is a customary portion.
