Leg of lamb with apricot and almond stuffing

Leg of lamb with apricot and almond stuffing preparation time Serves: 8
|
Leg of lamb with apricot and almond stuffing cook time Cook: 3 hrs
  • Explore Food4Life
    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
  • Explore Food4Life
    Ingredients
    • 2-3 kg Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured boned leg of lamb

    Apricot and almond stuffing

    • 250 g Dried apricots
    • 1 Orange
    • 1 Onion
    • 1 Garlic clove
    • 1 Small handful fresh parsley
    • 1 Small handful fresh mint
    • 2 x 15 ml (2 tbsp) Olive oil
    • 120 g Bread
    • 2 x 15 ml (2 tbsp) Ground almonds
    • 1 x 15 ml (1 tbsp) Clear honey
    • 500 ml Water
    • 1 x Reduced salt lamb stock cube
  • Explore Food4Life
    Method
    • Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4
    • Roughly chop the dried apricots and place in a mixing bowl
    • Juice the orange and pour over the apricots.  Leave to soak for 1 hour.

    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.

    Method

    • Place the bread in a food processor and blitz to make breadcrumbs.
    • Fry the onions and garlic in a little of the olive oil for 1 minute.
    • Add the onions, garlic, parsley, mint, ground almonds and breadcrumbs to the apricots in orange juice.  Mix well.
    • Spoon the stuffing into the gap in the lamb where the bone has been removed.
    • Tie the lamb joint neatly with string.
    • Place the lamb on the rack of a roasting tin and roast for 25 mins/500g.
    • Remove the lamb from the oven, lift the lamb off of the rack and skim the fat from the juices in the roasting tin.
    • 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
    • Take the lamb out of the oven, remove from the rack and cover with tin foil to rest for 20 minutes.
    • While the meat is resting carefully sieve the juices from the roasting tin into a saucepan.
    • Make up the stock and add to the saucepan.
    • Boil the sauce rapidly until it begins to reduce.
    • Serve the lamb with the sauce.