




Spring Stuffed Leg of Lamb
2015-04-05 19:44:22

Serves 10
Stuffed leg of lamb, perfect for large gatherings.
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
1 hr 20 min
Total Time
2 hr
For the Lamb
- One 5-pound trimmed and boned leg of lamb, butterflied
- One package baby spinach (about 5 oz)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 granny smith apple, chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
- 3 thick slabs hand-cut bacon, chopped (you can also use Pancetta)
- 1/3 dry white wine
- 3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Olive Oil for cooking
For the Gremolata
- 1/3 cup pork dust
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
For the Gravy
- 2 Tablespoons arrowroot flour
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
To prepare the lamb
- Take the lamb out of the fridge about 30-45 minutes before prep time.
- In a food processor, chop up the garlic, rosemary and sage. Heat up about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, and cook the herb and garlic mixture until fragrant. Add the chopped bacon and red pepper flakes to the pan until it starts to brown. Add in the spinach and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until spinach starts to wilt. Add in the cranberries and apple, cooking for another 3 minutes, and then remove from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the lamb, and pound it to an even thickness (about 1 inch). Sprinkle with the pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spread the mustard on the lamb, distributing evenly, and then top with the spinach mixture. Starting at one end, roll the lamb up and secure with cooking twine. Our lamb ended up tearing, but we just used some extra twine and it was fine. Sprinkle the remaining salt on the outside of the lamb.
- Wipe down the skillet lightly, and set over a high flame. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and let it heat up. Carefully (using a good set of tongs) sear the lamb on all sides (about 3 minutes per side). Once it has been seared on all sides, pour the wine, lemon juice and vinegar over the lamb, and place in the oven to cook. The roast should take about 1 hour 15 minutes to cook fully. It will be ready when it reads 135 degrees on your thermometer. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
For the Gremolata
- When the lamb is finished cooking, take a small skillet and heat it over a medium flame. Add in the pork dust, lemon zest and parsley. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it starts to brown. Remove from heat and reserve the crumbs to be dusted over the lamb before serving.
For the Gravy
- While the lamb is resting, take the skillet (this will be very hot from the oven still, so be careful) and put it over a medium flame. Using a whisk, add the wine to the drippings from the pan with about 2 tablespoons of arrowroot flour. You may need more or less depending on how much "drippings" you have, so do this slowly until the gravy reaches your desired thickness. For thicker gravy, add more flour, to thin it out, add more wine or use some broth or water.
Notes
- Serve the lamb while still hot, sliced on a platter. Top with the Gremolata and serve gravy on the side. This will really serve about 12 people, but you want to make sure you have enough for seconds - trust me your guests will thank you.
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- Kitchen twine
- Meat Thermometer
- Food Processor
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Urban Cavewoman https://www.urbancavewoman.com/