Food Blogs

SPINACH, PINE NUTS STUFFED LAMB RECIPE

Name: STUFFED LAMB WITH SPINACH AND PINE NUTS
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 small onion (peeled and chopped); 2 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced); Olive oil; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 Tbsp pine nuts; 8 ounces baby spinach (washed); 5 ounces feta cheese (crumbled); 1 pounds boned saddle of lamb (about 4(ask your butcher to bone it for you)); 1–2 tsp sumac (to taste); ½ large cucumber (peeled, seeded, and sliced into rings); ⅔ cup plain yogurt; Small bunch of mint (shredded); 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses (to taste, see page 205); Zest of 1 lemon (squeeze of juice); Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 year ago

January 26, 2023

Gordon Ramsay Fanclub

STUFFED LAMB WITH SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

People often think lamb should go with mint, but it’s nice to go off piste, as here, with feta, pine nuts, and spinach. A lovely yogurt and cucumber dressing completes this dish. Make sure you sear the saddle on the stovetop before putting it into the oven to kick-start the roasting process and get a well-colored crisp outside in contrast to a perfectly pink inside.

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

1 small Onion peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves peeled and sliced
olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp pine nuts
8 ounces baby spinach washed
5 ounces feta cheese crumbled
1 pounds boned saddle of lamb about 4(ask your butcher to bone it for you)
1–2 tsp sumac to taste

FOR THE DRESSING

½ large cucumber peeled, seeded, and sliced into rings
⅔ cup plain yogurt
Small bunch of mint shredded
1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses to taste, see page 205
Zest of 1 lemon squeeze of juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

1 small Onion peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves peeled and sliced
olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp pine nuts
8 ounces baby spinach washed
5 ounces feta cheese crumbled
1 pounds boned saddle of lamb about 4(ask your butcher to bone it for you)
1–2 tsp sumac to taste

FOR THE DRESSING

½ large cucumber peeled, seeded, and sliced into rings
⅔ cup plain yogurt
Small bunch of mint shredded
1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses to taste, see page 205
Zest of 1 lemon squeeze of juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Sauté the onion and garlic in a medium-hot pan with a dash of olive oil for 5 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper, then add the pine nuts and cook for about 1 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 at intervals with string. Season the outside of the lamb with salt and pepper all over, then chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight to help it firm up and make it easier to brown.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Put a roasting pan on the stovetop and heat until hot. Add a glug of oil and cook the lamb for 10 minutes until browned all over. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 45–55 minutes, depending on the weight of the lamb and how pink you like it. When cooked, set aside to rest.
Meanwhile, mix all the dressing ingredients together and add a little salt and pepper.
Serve the rested lamb hot or at room temperature, thickly sliced, with the dressing on the side.

HOW TO STUFF MEAT

The secret of any stuffing is to partially cook it first. Raw onions and raw garlic will take forever to cook inside the meat. 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 edges as some will inevitably squeeze out as you roll, and don’t tie it too tightly.