A mushroom stuffing, seasoned with onion, garlic and herbs, and a sauce infused with orange juice and zest, moisten the meat and sharpen the mild flavour of the roast lamb. The leg, a popular cut, provides plenty of tender, lean meat, delicious hot or cold.
ingredients
serves 8
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 pound button mushrooms, wiped and chopped
1 cup whole wheat bread with crusts cut off, diced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 level teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 level teaspoon dried basil
1 medium orange
Freshly ground black pepper
6 pound leg of lamb, bone and fat removed
1 level tablespoon All purpose flour
1/2 pint vegetable or beef stock
Orange wedges and sprigs of marjoram to garnish
method
OVEN: Preheat to 230°C (450°F)
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onion and garlic in it gently for 5 minutes, until lightly coloured. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 8 minutes, or until the mushroom juices have evaporated.
2. Take the pan off the heat and mix in the bread, parsley, marjoram and basil. Grate in about 1 teaspoon of rind from the orange, season with pepper and stir well.
3. Stuff the lamb with the mushroom mixture, packing the stuffing, not too tightly, along the cavity left by removing the bone. Secure with skewers or thin, clean string if necessary to hold the meat in shape.
4. Put the lamb on a rack in a shallow roasting tin and roast in the heated oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 C (350 F, gas mark 4), and continue cooking for another 2 hours for meat that is slightly pink and 2 hours 20 minutes for well-done meat.
5. Pare off the skin and outer membrane of the orange with a very sharp knife. Free the segments by cutting down each side of them to remove the membranes.
6. When the lamb is cooked, lift it onto a warmed serving dish, cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Skim off and discard the fat from the juices in the roasting tin. Mix the flour into the remaining juices and gradually stir in the stock. Bring to the boil over a low heat, stirring to incorporate the browned juices from the bottom of the tin. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the orange segments and heat through for 1 minute, then pour into a heated sauceboat.
7. Uncover the lamb and remove any skewers and string. Slice the meat, not too thinly, leaving the diners to remove any remaining fat. Garnish with the orange wedges and marjoram. Serve with the sauce.
The traditional accompaniments of new potatoes and peas cannot be bettered, but you can offer a different look with Snap peas or sugar snap peas.
