The boned saddle of lamb is one of the classic roasting cuts for Easter. Here it’s stuffed with crunchy shallots, garlic and pancetta to kick up the depth of flavour even more. As the whole saddle is stuffed everyone gets the meat and the flavoursome stuffing as part of their serving.
Prep time 20 minutes/Cook time 85 minutes/Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 boned saddle of lamb (about 1.5kg [3lb 5oz]), skirts removed
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
For the stuffing:
25g (1 oz) butter
4 banana shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g (1 ¾ oz) pancetta cubes
small pack flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
6 sage leaves, torn
1 tsp finely-grated lemon zest
50g (1 ¾ oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
Method:
Begin by preparing the stuffing. Melt the butter in a large pan over gentle heat and add the shallots. Cook slowly for about 10 mins until softening, then add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 min. Turn up the heat and add the pancetta and a little seasoning. Cook until the pancetta is crisp, and the shallots are tender and turning golden. Take off the heat, add the remainder of the ingredients and stir to combine (it should not be too wet, as the stuffing should absorb some of the lamb juices when cooked). Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6). Lay the lamb saddle out on a board, fat-side down. Arrange the stuffing in a line down the middle, bring the sides up and roll into a large sausage shape so the stuffing can only be seen at the ends. Using butcher’s twine, tie the saddle, tucking the rosemary under the string, then rub with salt and a little pepper.
Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat and place the rolled lamb in the pan to seal the outside, turning every minute or so, until golden (about 6 minutes). Remove from the pan and transfer to a roasting tin. Pour over the vinegar – this will help to crisp the skin – then cook in the oven for 1 hr.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a chopping board, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
