Best Boned Leg Of Lamb Stuffed With Tapenade Recipes

HERB CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB WITH TAPENADE

Steps:

• De-bone and trim the leg well or have your butcher do it. Smash the garlic cloves and mix with the rosemary, thyme sprigs, and cracked pepper. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and rub all over the meat. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator, for 1 to 2 days. Remove the herb sprigs and garlic cloves from the meat.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the chopped garlic, rosemary, and thyme with enough olive oil to dampen into an almost paste-like consistency. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Season the lamb well with salt and pepper. Spread the interior liberally with tapenade. Roll up and tie with string. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place the lamb in the pan, fat-side down. Sear until golden and turn over so that all sides are seared. Place fat side up in the pan and use a large fork to hold the lamb while you drain off any excess fat.
• Pat the chopped herbed mixture all over the outside of the lamb. Add 2 cups of water to the pan and roast for 1 1/2 hours until a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees F. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Slice thinly and serve with roasted potatoes. Serve extra tapenade on the side or pan juices.
• Place all the ingredients except the olive oil and the parsley in a food processor. Chop coarsely by pulsing the machine. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse a few more times, season with salt and pepper. Fold in the parsley by hand. The tapenade is best when made a day in advance so flavors have time to marry.

STUFFED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Remove plastic netting or twine from around the leg of lamb, if any, and open up the roast on a cutting board. Place the boned side of the roast up. With a sharp paring knife, cut away any excess fatty areas. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/2-inch deep slits in the meat about 2 inches apart, to help the meat lie flat. Cover the meat with a sturdy piece of plastic wrap or a cut-apart food storage bag, and pound the meat with a mallet or the edge of a small plate until the roast is about 3/4 inch thick everywhere, and 10 to 14 inches square.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Sprinkle the upper side of the meat with salt and pepper, and then spread spinach leaves over the top of the roast to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Break up the goat cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the spinach, then sprinkle the pine nuts over the cheese.
• Roll the roast up into a tight cylinder, and tie the roast together with kitchen twine at 2 inch intervals. It's okay if a little stuffing protrudes from the sides of the roast.
• In a flat dish, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of pepper, the thyme, and the fennel seeds, and press the tied roast firmly into the flour mixture to coat all sides.
• Heat the sesame oil in a heavy oven-proof or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers, and sear all sides of the roast, including the ends, to a golden brown color. Lay the roast into the skillet, place into the preheated oven, and roast to your desired degree of doneness, or an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (65 degrees C) for medium, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

TAPENADE-STUFFED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a roasting pan just large enough to hold the lamb. Place a rack in the pan.
• Stuff the lamb Unroll the lamb and spread the boned-out side with the tapenade. Roll up the lamb tightly. Tie it at 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine. With a small, sharp knife, cut slits 2 or 3 inches apart in the top of the roast. Push the garlic slices into the slits. Sprinkle the roast all over with the rosemary, salt, and pepper.
• Roast the lamb for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. For medium-rare, the temperature should be 140 to 150°F. Cover loosely with foil and let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
• To serve Cut into thin slices.