Lamb Shoulder Stuffed With Tomatoes Goats Cheese And Basil Recipes

LAMB SHOULDER STUFFED WITH TOMATOES, GOAT'S CHEESE AND BASIL

Steps:

• To bone the lamb shoulder, start at the wider, flatter end of the joint and push in a sharp boning knife, just above the shoulder blade bone. Release the meat from the bone using a series of short movements, keeping the blade as close to the bone as possible. Repeat on the underside of the bone, loosening the meat at the sides.
• At the other end, cut through the skin attached to the bone on the underside of the shoulder. Scrape the blade all the way along the bone to remove the meat all the way to the 'elbow' joint. Carry on past the elbow, loosening the meat from the bone, to reach where you cut to from the other side (take care not to pierce the skin). Work the bone from side to side to see where it's still attached. Return to the blade end to loosen any final bits of meat. The bone should almost feel free of the meat. Now cut the tendons around the joint - kitchen scissors are good for this - then pull out the bone from the blade end.
• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Mix all the stuffing ingredients together and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stuff the centre of the lamb with the mixture. There's a lot of filling but it should all fit in.
• Cut a 2m length of strong kitchen string. Start with the skin-side of the meat facing down. Slide the string underneath the centre of the joint (as if tying up a parcel), pull the string tightly around and tie in the centre, gathering in the sides of the meat and securing the filling. Repeat on the perpendicular to make a cross, then flip the meat over so the skin is facing up. Tie the string in the centre, as tight as possible to secure the filling. Tuck in any bits of meat hanging out, then repeat the tying process but this time on both diagonals. You should end up with a cushion-shaped roast.
• Put the lamb in a roasting tray and cook for between 1 hour 20 minutes (pink) and 1 hour 50 minutes (well done). Lamb shoulders differ in size we can't suggest an internal temperature as the stuffing makes this unreliable.
• Once cooked, remove the lamb from the tray and rest on a board. Drain all but 3-4 tbsp of the fat from the tray. Mix the flour into the juices with a balloon whisk to make a paste.
• Put the tray on the hob over a medium heat and bubble for 1-2 minutes. Add the sherry and bring to the boil for a minute, stirring, to scrape up any browned bits. Pour all the juices into a medium pan with the stock, sugar and 150ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5-10 minutes. Strain the gravy and season to taste, adding a glug of sherry at the end. Serve with greens and roast new potatoes.

GOAT CHEESE STUFFED LAMB BURGERS

Steps:

• Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions in the oil until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Gently knead together the softened onions, lamb, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Divide the mixture into 6 parts and roll into balls, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Mix together the goat cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, basil, and oregano until well combined; cover and chill for 5 minutes.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
• Working with one portion of meat at a time, make an indentation in the center of the ball with your thumb. Fill the indentation with a heaping tablespoon of the goat cheese mixture. Gently pull and form the meat patty around the cheese filling, making a burger-shaped patty. Repeat with each ball of the lamb mixture.
• Grill the patties on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center and well done, about 8 minutes per side.

LAMB, GOAT CHEESE, AND HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Divide the tomato, lamb, goat cheese, pomegranate, and chile between serving plates. Drizzle with the salsa verde and sprinkle with basil to serve.

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.

STUFFED GREEK LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Lay out the leg of lamb on cutting board with the inside of the lamb facing you. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the lamb. Sprinkle oregano and basil over the lamb. Top lamb with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
• Roll the lamb around the stuffing. Bundle the lamb with kitchen twine to keep from unrolling. Wrap lamb in aluminum foil and place in a baking dish.
• Roast in preheated oven to your desired degree of doneness, or an internal temperature of 150 degrees F (70 degrees C) for medium, about 90 minutes. Set aside to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing. Reserve pan juices for serving.