Boned, Stuffed, Leg of Lamb

sliced

July 18th, 2011

The butcher had some boned leg of lamb on special offer, so I bought one to stuff and roast. The bone was removed from the leg without cutting open the flesh and therefore, it had a cavity for stuffing. A good butcher can bone a leg of lamb in a few minutes, so don’t hesitate to ask. British lamb is currently in season, so the price should be reasonable.

blending

Boned, Stuffed, Leg of Lamb recipe:

4 slices of streaky bacon
3 whole, tinned anchovies or 6 fillets
a handful of fresh parsley leaves
6 pieces of garlic (peeled)
a heaped cup of stoned olives
3 sprigs of rosemary (remove the leaves from the stem, which is a bit thick and woody)
3 – 4 desert spoons of extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

stuffing

Place all the stuffing ingredients into a blender or food processor and blitz until you have a nice stuffing consistency as shown in the picture above. Use 3 desert spoons of olive oil to start with and add a fourth if the stuffing looks too dry.

fried stuffing

In order to test the stuffing for flavour (before cooking the lamb), fry a little piece to test it, that way you can increase the seasoning if necessary.

ready to stuff

Sit the leg of lamb upright on a chopping board, so that the largest opening is uppermost.

stuffed

Stuff the leg until full. Don’t overdo it as the meat will shrink a bit while cooking and the stuffing will spill out and burn.

trussed

When you have finished stuffing, tie the roast up with string. If you lack skills in tying butchers knots, you can practice on a wine bottle.

roasted

Roast for between 60 – 80 minutes, in a pre heated oven at 200º C (depending on how rare you like your lamb). I normally add a glass of red wine and a splash of red wine vinegar to the oiled tray, which adds flavour to the meat and juices, while cooking. I use this to make gravy, while the roast is resting (for up to 30 minutes). Serve with roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables.