stuffed lamb
SERVES: 8
4 1/2 pound shoulder or leg of lamb, boneless.
2 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
1 to 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of white wine
1 cup of stock (chicken or beef)
salt and pepper
Stuffing
5 tablespoons of butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/3 cup of long grain white rice
2/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon of thyme (dried is fine)
4 lamb kidneys, cut in half and cored
10 ounces baby spinach, washed
salt and pepper
Make your stuffing first. Take a medium sized, heavy based saucepan and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it starts to soften. Add the garlic and rice and cook for a few minutes stirring all the while. Make sure the garlic doesn't catch and burn. The rice will start to look a little translucent after a few minutes.
Pour in the stock, the thyme and the salt and pepper. Bring it all to the boil. Reduce the heat and let it cook for about 15 minutes. Keep it covered the whole time to retain the moisture.
The rice should be just tender and the liquid absorbed. Cook for a little longer if needed. You can add a little more boiling stock if it seems too dry and the rice isn't cooked.
Once it's cooked, spoon it all into a large bowl and fluff it up with a fork.
Take a frying pan over a good heat. Melt 2 more tablespoons of your butter and add the kidneys. Cook them for a couple of minutes on each side. They may need less time. You're after a lightly browned surface with a pink middle. Put them onto a plate to cool, then chop them finely and add to the rice mixture.
Add the last of your butter to the same frying pan. Once it's foaming add your spinach leaves and cook them until just wilted. Drain them of any liquid and let them cool.
Preheat your oven to 375F.
Your boned piece of lamb should open out fairly flat. Lay it on a clean surface, skin side down and season with salt and pepper. Take your cool spinach leaves and lay them out, overlapping, over the whole surface of the meat.
Spread the rice mixture over this in an even layer and then roll up the meat as tightly as you can manage. Use kitchen string to tie up the roll. To make sure it holds it shape and the stuffing you'll need to tie a piece of string every inch of the roll. Pop in a few metal skewers as well if it looks like it may burst.
Rub it over with butter, season all over with salt and pepper and put into a good sized roasting pan.
A stuffed roast of this size will need about 2 hours to cook, maybe a little less. A meat thermometer will read 140F when it's cooked to medium - lamb is best at this point.
Another way to check is to push a skewer into the meat. The juices should be slightly pink.
Once cooked the way you like it, transfer the meat to a plate and cover with foil to rest for about 20 minutes.
If you want, you can use the pan scratchings to make a delicious gravy. Just drain off any fat, sprinkle flour over the surface and put the pan over a medium heat.
Stir it the whole time, working in any bits that are well cooked on. Once it's a light brown color you can stir in the wine and stock and bring it all up to the boil.
Let it thicken, check the taste and add more salt and pepper if you like. Strain it into a serving jug and serve it hot with your Stuffed Lamb.
TIP:
Don't forget to bake up a mountain of crisp pototoes and other seasonal veggies to serve with this deliciously tender Stuffed Lamb roast.
