Lamb from A to Z - Thermometers, temperature and cooking

In 1925, the French Academy of Medicine, as one of its pressing items of business, launched a discussion of an invention which, if adopted, would solve a predicament for many amateur cooks. It was Monsieur Bonuley’s famous “leg of lamb thermometer.” This culinary instrument was composed of an open tube at one end, terminating at the other end in a sort of elongated pointed olive shape, resembling a larding needle. The olive-shaped end penetrated the leg of lamb and took the temperature. The process was relatively simple: the olive in question contained an alloy that melted at 80° C, certainly high enough for the lamb to be cooked.

One of the members of the Academy, Dr. Jules Guérin, stated that, in spite of the instrument’s excellent construction, it would never replace the eye, nor the chef’s finger - and I readily agree. The best way of determining the degree of doneness of lamb is to insert a finger into the middle of a deboned leg, or to apply manual pressure to the leg.

These days there are also many electronic and other kinds of thermometers that produce good results.

Another method is to insert a large needle into the leg and leave it there for 20 seconds; remove it and place it on the back of your hand. If it is very warm, the lamb is perfectly cooked, that is, medium-rare.

For lamb in general, and for a leg of lamb in particular, cooking times can be a big headache. Don’t forget to sear it before putting it into the oven. Remember too that the shape and size will also affect the cooking time; the more elongated the leg is, the quicker it will be done; the fatter and rounder it is, the longer the cooking time.

My ideas on properly cooking lamb may differ from those of some other chefs, but on one point there is general consensus: medium-rare. Apart from that, my own tastes vary from other people’s when it comes to particular cuts or methods of preparation.