ingredients
serves 6 - 8
1/2 cup ready-to-eat pitted prunes
2 tablespoons ready-to-eat dried figs
2 tablespoons ready-to-eat dried apricots
1/2 pint apple juice
2 tablespoons Butter
3/4 cup onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup celery, roughly chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 egg yolk
salt and pepper
3 pound boned shoulder of lamb
2 tbsp oil
2 - 3 rosemary sprigs
4 garlic bulbs
3/4 pound shallots or baby onions, peeled
3/4 pint lamb stock or water
1/4 pint dry white wine
method
1. Roughly chop the dried fruit and soak in the apple juice overnight.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the chopped onion and celery and cook for 5 - 7 minutes until softened. Turn into a bowl and leave to cool.
3. Drain the fruits, reserving the liquid, and add them to the cooled mixture with the walnuts, breadcrumbs, allspice, parsley and egg yolk. Season generously and mix well.
4. Stuff the bone cavity of the lamb with the fruit mixture and sew or secure with wooden cocktail sticks. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
5. Heat the oil in a roasting tin and brown the lamb on all sides. Put the rosemary sprigs under the lamb and add the garlic bulbs and shallots to the tin. Roast at 200°C (180°C fan oven) for about 1 1/2 hours for pink lamb, 1 3/4 hours for well-done meat, basting the lamb and turning the shallots and garlic bulbs occasionally.
6. Put the lamb on a warmed platter with the shallots and 3 garlic bulbs. Loosely cover with foil and leave to rest in a warm place.
7. Skim off the fat from the roasting tin. Crush the remaining garlic bulb to extract the pulp and add to the roasting tin with the fruit liquid, stock and wine. Boil for 5-10 minutes or until syrupy. Check the seasoning and strain into a warmed sauceboat,
8. Carve the lamb and serve with the shallots, garlic, gravy and vegetables of your choice.
