Fresh herb-and-feta-stuffed leg of lamb

4

PREP TIME

45 min

Makes

8 servings

* PLUS Standing Time: 10 minutes, Roasting Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 green onions
  • 3 garlic cloves , peeled
  • 4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes , halved, drained
  • 1 cup parsley leaves
  • 1 cup loosley packed fresh basil leaves
  • 3/4 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1 cup coarsely crumbled feta
  • 1 boneless butterflied leg of lamb , about 1.5 kg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large lemon
  • 1 cup dry white wine , or apple juice
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  • Coarsely chop onions. Cut garlic in half. Cut tomatoes into quarters. Place onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, basil and mint in bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Then pulse, using an on-off motion, just until mixture is coarsely chopped. Do not take it to the finely chopped stage. Or, using a sharp knife, coarsely chop all ingredients together. Place herb mixture in a small bowl and stir in feta.
  • Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Trim most of fat from lamb. To remove tough silver-grey connective tissue, which doesn’t tenderize during roasting, run a sharp knifepoint along one side of connective tissue, easing between it and meat. Grab connective tissue with your hands or, for a better grip, use a piece of paper towel and pull it away from meat.
  • Flip lamb over onto a large sheet of waxed paper or a cutting board so cut surface is facing up. In order for lamb to roll properly, it should be of even thickness and rectangular in shape. For a more even thickness, horizontally cut slits, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep, into thick parts of meat. Then open up like a book. Even out rectangle by cutting off any large pieces of meat that stick out and use to fill holes or thin areas.
  • Cover lamb with a sheet of plastic wrap, then pound thick parts of meat with a meat mallet or bottom of a heavy pan to even out thickness. Ideally, meat should be about a 1 inch (1 cm) thick. Do not worry if it¿s not a perfect rectangle. Discard plastic wrap. Then sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper.
  • Using a spatula, spread herb mixture over lamb, leaving a 1-inch (1-cm) border around edges. Then finely grate peel from lemon evenly overtop. Beginning at short end of rectangle, tightly roll up meat to enclose filling. If possible, tuck in ends of lamb to help keep filling in place. Then tie with butcher¿s string. Place lamb, seam-side down, in a shallow-sided roasting pan measuring about 13×9 inches (3 L). Then pour wine and water overtop.
  • Roast, uncovered, in centre of 350F (180C) oven, basting occasionally with pan juices, until lamb is tinged with brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat reads 135F (57C) for rare, from 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Remove from oven and let stand, loosely covered with foil, at least 10 minutes before slicing. Then remove string and cut lamb into thick slices. Serve with roasted peppers and pour or spoon pan juices overtop.

Nutrition (per serving)

  • Calories
  • 309,
  • Protein
  • 32.1 g,
  • Carbohydrates
  • 3.6 g,
  • Fat
  • 17.5 g,
  • Fibre
  • 1.2 g,
  • Sodium
  • 519 mg.

Fragrant spring lamb is sublime with a Mediterranean-flavoured stuffing. Chunks of garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and lots of fresh mint are mixed with tangy feta to create a palate-pleasing filling in a boneless leg of lamb.

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