Spring Lamb With Minted Gravy - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 lbs california spring lamb
Marinade
3/4 cup olive oil
12 garlic cloves, minced (I mince it in the mini food chopper)
1 tablespoon oregano
3 -4 lemons, juice of
salt and pepper
Minted Gravy
For one quart sauce use
3 tablespoons good quality beef base (or concentrate)
3 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup sherry wine
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup mint jelly

Preparation

Starting 2-3 days BEFORE cooking, purchase spring lamb.
At Easter time, it's a good idea to order it from a butcher in advance.
Have the butcher take the bone out AND remove the gland, but tell him NOT to tie it.
Ask for the string so you can tie it at home after marinating.
At home, rub the lamb well, inside and out with the combined marinating ingredients.
Roll up lengthwise and use the butcher's string to tie it up by tying lengths of string every 2-3 inches.
Marinate the lamb for two days before cooking.
On the day of cooking, plan on 2 hours of roasting time.
Preheat oven to 400\u00b0F.
Place lamb in roasting pan and roast (uncovered) for 20 minutes and then reduce heat to 250\u00b0F and continue baking for about 1 1/2 hours.
Meat thermometer should reach 140\u00b0F.
Remove lamb from oven and let rest, covered in foil, while making gravy.
Make one quart of brown gravy using a good quality beef base and diluting it with 3 1/2 cups hot water.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and thicken with roux.
Add the sherry and butter, whisking to blend well.
Season with salt and pepper and stir in the mint jelly, stirring until melted.
Serve with lamb.
For roux: Melt 4 tbsp butter in saucepan over medium heat, and add 4 tbsp flour.
Stir constantly with wooden spoon about 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
(See \"roux\" search if you need further details).