Roast Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Spinach & Gremolata

Roast Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Spinach & Gremolata

My oldest boy has recently started to understand food and its provenance, rather than everything being divided into meat (good), vegetables (bad). Things came to a head the other week when I half-jokingly said I wanted to make a rabbit stew, and his little bottom lip started to tremble and his eyes filled with tears. The wuss. So imagine my disappointment – and mild panic – when he said he didn't want to eat lamb any more because it came from "baby" sheep (pigs and cows, bring on their bloody carcases; fluffy, wuffy sheep, no thanks). The mild panic came from the fact that I was planning a leg of lamb, boned and butterflied by a skilled butcher, then stuffed, rolled and roasted to be the centrepiece of a family Easter feast (delicious magazine does it again). Two options came to mind: 1) lie, say it's beef or 2) ignore the little bugger and just whack a great bloody piece on his plastic Mr Tickle plate. Take a wild guess at what I went for... Serve 5-6 (or fewer if one of the diners suddenly realises that lamb is the best meat going and wants seconds and then thirds).

Ingredients:
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
125g spinach leaves, washed
1.5-1.75kg leg of lamb, boned and butterflied (keep the bone for roasting)

For the gremolata:
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
15g fresh flatleaf parsley leaves, chopped

For the gravy:
200ml white wine
400ml fresh chicken stock, hot
2 tsp butter, softened
2 tsp plain flour

Method:
1. Heat half the oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. Gently sauté the onion for 7-8 minutes, until soft. Set aside in a bowl.
2. Add a tablespoon of the remaining oil to the same pan. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Tip into a colander and press out the excess liquid, then coarsely chop.
3. To make the gremolata, mix the lemon zest, garlic and parsley in a large bowl. Add the chopped spinach and onion. Stir and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the mixture along the centre of the lamb. Roll tightly and tie with string. Weigh the lamb and calculate the cooking time, allowing 16 minutes per 450g for pink lamb.
4. Preheat the oven to 230C/gas 8. Rub the lamb with the remaining olive oil and season. Put in a roasting tin along with the bone and roast for 15 minutes so it starts to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 200C/gas 6 and roast for the remainder of the calculated cooking time. Remove the lamb from the oven and lift onto a platter. Cover tightly with foil and rest for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Tip out all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the roasting tin. Place the tin over a medium-high heat and add the wine. Bring to the boil, scraping the meat juices from the bottom of the tin. Reduce to about 4 tablespoons. Add the stock and boil for about 4-5 minutes, until reduced to a well-flavoured gravy. Mix the butter and flour to a paste and whisk small lumps into the gravy. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Season to taste. Keep hot over a low heat.
6. Carve the lamb. Strain the gravy into a warmed jug. Divide the lamb between serving plates and serve with minted new potatoes and griddled asparagus.