Gigot Persille Spring Lamb (1964)

A gigot, or tender leg of baby spring lamb, is one of the great delicacies of France.  In our country, it is next to impossible to find a lamb leg weighing only 2 or 3 pounds, but those of 5 pounds are no uncommon and are worth looking for.

Cook the leg of lamb in an open roasting pan, in a moderate oven (350 degrees).  When it is within about 1/2 hour of being done to your liking, spread it with a mixture of:

• 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 1 small clove garlic, pureed or crushed with 1 tspn salt and a pinch of pepper

Finish cooking, basting with pan drippings until done the way you like it. In France, lamb is usually served juicily pink--- about 140 degrees on a meat thermometer.  

(Origin - "Adventures in Food: An Unusual cook book with distinctive recipes from near and far" by the editorial staffs of Sunset Magazine and Sunset Books. 1964.)