Roast Leg of Lamb with Date and Herb Stuffing
Ideal for a family Sunday roast, whole or carvery roast lamb with a date and herb stuffing.
prep time
20 mins
cook time
2 hours
serves
6 people
To Cook Medium: 25 minutes per 450g plus 25 minutes
To Cook Well Done: 30 minutes per 450g plus 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.3kg lean whole or carvery lamb leg joint
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 25g butter
- 2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- 75g finely chopped stoned dates
- Large bunch freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 25g plain flour
- 600ml good, hot lamb stock
- 150ml medium white wine
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180-190°C , 160-170°C Fan, Gas Mark 4-5.
- To prepare the stuffing; melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onions until soft. Remove from the heat, add the remaining stuffing ingredients and season.
- Place the joint on a chopping board and make several slits over the surface with a sharp knife. Season on both sides and push the mixture into the slits. Shape any remaining stuffing mixture into small balls and cook separately until golden for 15-20 minutes towards the end of the lamb cooking time.
- Transfer the joint to a metal rack in a large non-stick roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and open roast for the preferred, calculated cooking time, basting occasionally with any meat juices. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
- Remove the joint from the oven, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy; spoon off any excess fat from the roasting tin and discard. Place the tin over a medium heat and sprinkle over the flour. Stir well with a small whisk or spoon, add a little wine and stir again, scraping the base of the pan to release any rich lamb sediment.
- Add the remaining wine, stock and any meat juices from the lamb, adjust the seasoning, if required and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain before serving.
- Serve with seasonal vegetables, the gravy and the remaining cooked stuffing balls.
