A longtime favourite for Easter dinner, fresh lamb is infused with fragrant rosemary and thyme before being stuffed with a palate-pleasing mixture of garlic, sausage and lightly toasted pine nuts.
You you shouldn’t merely save this for Easter; roast lamb makes an elegant dish for any dinner gathering.
Serve with crisp leafy greens and warm crusty bread.
Boneless Leg of Lamb
1 deboned leg of lamb (about 1.5 kg/3 lb)
Marinade
30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
5 ml (1 tsp) each sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Stuffing
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 l (4 cups) spinach
2 lamb sausages, casings removed
2 ml (1/2 tsp) each sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
50 ml (1/4) cup toasted pine nuts
In a large resealable bag, combine lamb, olive oil, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Refrigerate and let sit for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until tender and brown, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in spinach and remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Let cool completely. Break up lamb sausage and stir into spinach mixture just until combined. Stir in salt. pepper and pine nuts. This recipe can be prepared, up to this point, one day ahead.
Arrange lamb leg on a clean surface with short end facing you. Spread stuffing over lamb and roll up to enclose stuffing. Tie to secure and place in a roasting pan. Roast in a 190 C (375 F) oven until medium rare, about 90 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 270 calories; 32 g protein; 14 g total fat (5 g saturated fat); 2 g carbohydrates; 1 g fibre; 105 mg cholesterol; 90 mg sodium.
Source: Homegrown Ontario, www.homegrownontario.ca