Gordon Ramsay revealed: “The secret of any stuffing is to part-cook it first.” The chef elaborated: “Raw onions and raw garlic will take forever to cook inside the meat.”
For his lamb recipe, which serves between six to eight people, there is stuffing required, but he takes it one step at a time.
He advised: “If you are not going to be roasting the meat immediately, you must let the stuffing cool before using it.
“When filling the saddle, put extra stuffing at the edge as some will inevitably squeeze out as you roll, and don’t tie it too tightly.”
Here’s how to make Gordon Ramsay’s stuffed lamb with spinach and pine nuts recipe for Easter.
Stuffed lamb recipe
Ingredients:
One small onion, peeled and chopped
Two garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
Olive oil, for frying
Three tbsp of pine nuts
250g young spinach, washed
150g feta cheese, crumbled
One boned saddle of lamb, about 1.75-2kg (ask your butcher to bone it for you)
One to two tsp of sumac, to taste
Sea salt and black pepper
For the dressing:
Half of a large cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced into rings
150ml natural yoghurt
Small bunch of mint, shredded
One tbsp pomegranate molasses, to taste
Zest of one lemon, squeeze of lime
Method
Sauté the onion and garlic in a medium-hot pan with a dash of olive oil for five minutes until softened.
Season, then add the pine nuts and fry for about one minute until golden. Add the spinach and wilt briefly in the pan, tossing to mix well. Remove from the heat and stir in the feta.
Lay the saddle of lamb open on a board, flesh side up. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the sumac.
Spoon the spinach mixture along the middle of the meat (using the fillets that run down the inside length of the meat to support the sides of the stuffing).
Roll the meat around the filling and tie it at intervals with string. Season the outside of the lamb all over, then chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Once the meat has been chilled, preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Put a roasting tray on the hob and heat until hot.
Add oil and fry the joint for 10 minutes until brown all over. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 45 to 55 minutes. When cooked, set aside to rest.
Meanwhile, mix all the dressing ingredients together and season. Serve the rested lamb hot or at room temperature, thickly sliced, with the dressing on the side.
Such a gorgeous lamb would pair well with roasted potatoes and an array of greens with a ladle of gravy over the top.
As for any of the other trimmings for an Easter lunch, it’s up to you what you would like to add to your feast.
