Leg of Lamb with Apricot and Almond Stuffing

Leg of Lamb with apricot and almond stuffing

Serves: 8

Ingredients
2-3kg Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured boned leg of lamb

Apricot and almond stuffing

250g dried apricots

1 orange

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 small handful fresh parsley

1 small handful fresh mint

2 x 15ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

120g bread

2 x 15ml (2 tbsp) ground almonds

1 x 15ml (1 tbsp) clear honey

500ml water

1 x reduced salt lamb stock cube

Equipment

Chopping boards, knives, mixing bowl, juicer, garlic crusher, food processor, frying pan, mixing spoon, string, roasting tin with rack, oven gloves, large spoons, sieve, saucepan, kettle, measuring jug, fork.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4

2. Roughly chop the dried apricots and place in a mixing bowl.

3. Juice the orange and pour over the apricots. Leave to soak for 1 hour.

4. Prepare the vegetables and herbs:

· Peel, remove the top and bottom of the onion and finely chop;

· Peel and crush the garlic;

· Finely chop the mint and parsley.

5. Place the bread in a food processor and blitz to make breadcrumbs.

6. Fry the onions and garlic in a little of the olive oil for 1 minute.

7. Add the onions, garlic, parsley, mint, ground almonds and breadcrumbs to the apricots in orange juice. Mix well.

8. Spoon the stuffing into the gap in the lamb where the bone has been removed.

9. Tie the lamb joint neatly with string.

10. Place the lamb on the rack of a roasting tin and roast for 25 mins/500g.

11. Remove the lamb from the oven, lift the lamb off of the rack and skim the fat from the juices in the roasting tin.

12. Replace the meat on the rack and spread the honey over the surface of the lamb, return to the oven and roast for a further 30 minutes.

13. Take the lamb out of the oven, remove from the rack and cover with tin foil to rest for 20 minutes.

14. While the meat is resting carefully sieve the juices from the roasting tin into a saucepan.

15. Make up the stock and add to the saucepan.

16. Boil the sauce rapidly until it begins to reduce.

17. Serve the lamb with the sauce.