FAT PINE RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Stuffing a leg of lamb is a great way to transform a regular cut into something a bit special for Easter, and this recipe ensures it’ll be bursting with flavour. If you’ve never made homemade gravy before, give it a go – you can’t beat it!
  2. Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Turn the leg of lamb upside down on a chopping board and very gently cut halfway down into the leg along the bone so the meat opens out, creating a pocket.
  3. Make your stuffing by peeling a couple of garlic cloves and popping them into a food processor. As it’s whizzing away, add the parsley and rosemary leaves, then the anchovies. Scrape this mixture into a bowl, then add the ciabatta and pine nuts to the processor. You want it to be quite coarse so just pulse it a few times, then tip it into your bowl of herbs along with the chopped olives and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, then get your clean hands in the bowl and scrunch everything together. If it looks too dry, add a little lemon juice.
  4. Pack this stuffing into the pocket of the lamb, then wrap the meat back over and tie it tightly with string, pushing the remaining rosemary sprigs underneath the string. Drizzle over a little olive oil, pat this into the lamb and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Place your roughly chopped onion, carrot and celery in a roasting tray with any remaining unpeeled garlic cloves and lay your lamb on top. Roast for about an hour and a half. In Italy, they’ll start basting the lamb after 30 minutes by pouring a swig of wine over the meat and veg every 15 minutes or so until the meat is cooked. Trust me – it is well worth doing and makes it juicy and delicious! When cooked, transfer the lamb to a board or platter to rest while you make your gravy.
  6. Spoon off most of the fat from your tray, then put it on the hob over a low heat. Add the flour and mash everything together with a potato masher. Add a glass of red wine and bring to the boil, to cook off the alcohol. Pour in the stock and bring back to the boil, scraping all the goodness from the bottom of the pan as you go. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Sieve your gravy into a jug or pan, using a ladle to really push all the goodness through. Discard any veg or meat left behind. At this point, your lamb will have been resting for around 15 minutes and will be perfect for serving. Dish it up and tuck in!

Steps:

• First prepare the stuffing. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, then soften the onion without colouring for 10 mins. Tip into a bowl. Add the pancetta or bacon to the pan, fry for 5 mins until golden, then add the pine nuts, garlic, sage and lemon zest. Fry for 1 min more until fragrant and the pine nuts are starting to brown. Stir in the chopped parsley. Tip into the bowl with the onions, then bind with the crumbs, egg and seasoning.
• Butter and season a sheet of turkey foil or use 2 sheets of foil crimped together to make a sheet about 50 x 60cm. Lay five long pieces of string over the foil like rungs of a ladder, ready to tie the breast together. Arrange the pancetta or bacon in a lattice over the middle of the foil, on top of the string.
• Open out the butterflied breast, skin-side down, and slash each side several times. Cover with cling film and bash with a rolling pin until the meat is about 5cm thick all over. Trim the sides so that you have a roughly rectangular shape (but be careful not to cut the skin). Lift onto the pancetta, then fill any gaps with the trimmings. Season, then press the stuffing along the middle of the joint. Pull up the sides at one end, tucking in the short end, then tie the string tightly so that the stuffing is encased. Repeat with all the strings. Wrap up tightly in the foil, then turn the roll over so that the pancetta is on the top. Can be left in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Sit the joint in a roasting tin and roast for 40 mins per kg or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out very hot and the juices run clear. Unwrap for the last 10 mins of cooking.
• Lift the joint onto a board and leave to rest, covered, for at least 10 mins. For the gravy, heat the tin on the hob, then splash in the wine and any juices. Reduce by half, then add the stock and repeat. Pour in the cream and bubble to a slightly reduced sauce. Season to taste, then stir in the parsley.