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- Lamb with Quinoa, Apricot and
Almond Stuffing
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- For the Lamb:
- 1 lamb leg roast, tunnel boned with the shank end still intact
- 4 anchovy fillets, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- sprigs of oregano or rosemary
- olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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- For the stuffing:
- 2 cups of quinoa
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 1 zucchini, courgette, finely chopped
- 1 cup of ground almonds
- 1 cup of dried apricots, chopped
- 4 to 6 spring onions, chopped
- ½ cup of fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, coriander, chives, chopped
- olive oil
- sea salt and pepper
- To prepare the Quinoa, Apricot and Almond Stuffing:
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- Rinse the quinoa several times under cold water, this helps remove some of the bitterness quinoa can have.
- Bring a large saucepan with 4 cups of water to the boil.
- Add the rinsed and drained quinoa, cloves, bay leaves, a little salt and return to the boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile heat a large heavy based frypan or skillet and addt 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Sauté the onion and carrot and zucchini until tender and season well with salt and pepper.
- Combine the vegetables, quinoa, ground almonds, dried apricots, spring onions and plenty of herbs.
- Drizzle with a little more oil if the mixture seems to dry. Season again if necessary to taste.
- To prepare the Roast Lamb:
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- Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F)
- Fill the tunnel cavity of the lamb leg with the quinoa stuffing mixture above.
- (Any remaining stuffing can be wrapped in a layer of foil lined with a layer baking paper, twisted into a log
and allowed to heat through for 10 to 15 minutes to serve alongside.)
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- Mix the minced anchovy fillets and garlic with some olive oil, salt and pepper.
- With a sharp knife pierce the lamb leg in several places and spread the oil mixture generously over lamb with your
hands, pushing some into the cuts along with a sprig of herbs.
- Place the lamb into a roasting pan, lined with root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips if
desired.
- Place the roasting pan into the centre of the oven and turn down the temperature to 170°C (338°F)
- Bake for 2 hours, checking now and again and reducing the heat if necessary.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and arrange attractively on a warmed serving charger.
- Cover with foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- At this stage you could create a gravy sauce or red wine jus with the remaining juices in the roasting pan - see
below.
- Carve and serve slices of the lamb with the stuffing, roast potato, leek and greens.
- Serves 8 to 10
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- To prepare a Gravy sauce or Jus:
- Place the roasting pan with the roast and vegetables removed over a low flame, skimming any excess fat off but
leaving the tasty juices and bits the roast left behind.
- Pour ½ cup of red wine into the hot pan and scrape at the stuck meat, vegetable pieces to loosen them and
mix them through to infuse the sauce.
- Add 2 cups of vegetable broth, or a mixture with more wine, some lamb or beef liquid stock.
- Reduce by simmering for 8 or so minutes to form a thicker consistency.
- If you prefer, you can also add a "slurry" of gluten-free cornflour or arrowroot mixed with water to help
thicken it.
- Season to taste and pass through a sieve to remove any chunky bits and keep warm until ready to serve.
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