Mint Sauce for Lamb

Author Notes

In my family, we always have leg of lamb at Easter—usually with asparagus and some kind of roasted potato on the side—and it's always served with "mint sauce." Before you recoil from your computer screen in unbridled horror, let me assure you that this sauce bears absolutely no relation to that cloying, emerald green goop that is commonly known as "mint jelly." With this mint sauce, there is not a whiff of gelatin in sight, nor an inkling of that chemically engineered green hue. Rather, it's a simple condiment showcasing the bracing quality of fresh mint, made lively with the tang of vinegar and mellowed by a little bit of sugar. This mint sauce is fleet-of-foot, capable of cutting through the richness of lamb with just the right mix of acid, fragrance, and sweetness.

The recipe I've come to favor (in fact, I made it on Sunday) comes from one of my favorite resources for oldies-but-goodies: The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I've tinkered with their recipe a bit over the years, substituting sherry vinegar for white vinegar, using demerara sugar instead of granulated sugar, and amping up the amount of the mint. I also add a pinch of salt to really bring out all of the complementary flavors. But because this recipe is so easy and quick, you can substitute whatever you'd like and adjust the ratios to your personal preference. Give it a shot the next time you decide to make lamb—I promise that you'll be glad you did. —Merrill Stubbs