I am planning to make a leg of lamb for Easter and would like to know if I need to cut off all the fat? It has been boned and is in a netting, which tells me they cut off all the fat that needs to be cut off. Am I right?

 If you purchase a leg of lamb tied or in netting, it has been trimmed and boned completely. You do not need to remove it from the netting for cooking, but it is a perfect candidate for stuffing.

If you wish to do so, take it out of the net, stuff the cavity, and tie it up again. Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly recommend any of two dozen stuffings in their book The Complete Meat Cookbook, including:

• any fresh herb paste or rub
• mushroom duxelles
• oven-roasted tomatoes
• chopped capers
• cured ham or smoked sausage
• goat cheese or other mild cheese
• anchovy fillet
• braised onions
• dried figs, dates, apricots, raisins, currants
• pesto
• pine nuts
• strips of marinated artichoke hearts

Well, their list goes on and on.

If there is more than a little fat left on the netted roast, be sure to follow Aidells' and Kelly's advice for serving the lamb hot.

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