Stuffed Leg of Lamb with Herbs and Smoked Garlic

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb, about 2kg, deboned with shank bone left in
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• Seasoning

For the stuffing:

• 75g butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 6-8 cloves smoked garlic
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs, eg. parsley, rosemary, thyme
• 200g breadcrumbs

For the gravy:

• 1 tablespoon flour
• 200ml red wine
• 200ml lamb stock or beef stock

Directions

1. To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and slowly cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest, herbs and the breadcrumbs. Check for seasoning.
2. Preheat the oven to 210°C/gas mark 6½. Lay the lamb flat, fat-side down. Place the stuffing in the centre of the lamb and then roll it up and secure with kitchen twine. Season with extra herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil.
3. Place in a roasting pan in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C/gas mark 4 and roast for an additional 50-60 minutes for medium-rare, basting with pan juices about every 20 minutes.
4. Remove the roast from the roasting tray, tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place the roasting pan on a burner over a high heat; sprinkle the flour and brown for one to two minutes then add red wine and stock. Bring to the boil, scraping the base of the roasting pan to bring up all the browned bits.
6. Pass the gravy through a sieve into a small saucepan. Simmer for another few minutes until the gravy has a lovely silky consistency.
7. Slice meat and serve with the gravy.

Recipe: Kevin Dundon

Photography: Harry Weir, assisted by Brian Clarke

For more Kevin Dundon recipes, click here.

Tips

• March is the perfect time of year for lamb. A roast joint of meat is one of my favourite things to prepare at home. Allow 15 minutes per 450g for rare and 20 minutes for medium.
• Lamb leg is quite straightforward to debone, but if you have neither the will nor the time, feel free to ask your butcher. Be sure to leave the shank bone in – the presentation is much nicer.
• If you can get your hands on Achill mountain lamb, it has a wonderful salty flavour.
• Smoked garlic is available at specialist food stores and gives a wonderful flavour to the butter. Alternatively, smoke garlic bulbs in a smoker at home, or during the summer on a barbecue over the smoked wood.