Roast Leg of Lamb with Date and Herb Stuffing
Ideal for a family Sunday roast, whole or carvery roast stuffed with a date and herb stuffing
prep time
20 mins
cook time
2 hours
serves
6 people
To Cook Medium: 25 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 25 minutes
To Cook Well Done: 30 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.3kg/3lb lean whole or carvery lamb leg joint
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
- 30ml/2tbsp olive oil
- 25g/1oz butter
- 2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 100g/4oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 75g/3oz finely chopped stoned dates
- Large bunch freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 25g/1oz plain flour
- 600ml/1pint good, hot lamb stock
- 150ml/¼pint medium white wine
Method
- Preheat the oven to Gas mark 4-5, 180-190°C, 350-375°F.
- 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.
