Persian-Style Stuffed Lamb Recipe

Easter celebrations without lamb wouldn’t be the same, but are you bored of using the same old recipe every year? This year, why not give a new Easter recipe a go? This Persian style fruity stuffing brings out a whole host of flavours in the lamb and really helps this lamb recipe stretch far enough to feed any unexpected visitors too.

HOW TO MAKE PERSIAN-STYLE STUFFED LAMB

Ingredients

• 1.8-2kg (4-4½lb) leg of lamb, butterfly boned (ask your butcher to do this)

for the stuffing

• oil, for frying
• 1 large onion, halved and finely sliced
• 3cm (1¼in) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½tbsp cumin seeds, crushed
• 1tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
• 1tsp caraway seeds, crushed
• 8 cardamom pods, bruised
• 125g (4½oz) preserved lemons, roughly chopped
• 250g (9oz) soft prunes, roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220C, 200C fan, 425F, gas 7. For the stuffing, heat some oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion until lightly browned. Add the ginger and garlic, and fry for a further 1 minute. Add the cumin, coriander, caraway and cardamom, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemons and prunes, mix well and season.
2. Open out the leg of lamb, skin side down, spoon the stuffing into the centre and roll up tightly, securing with string. Brush with oil, season and place in the oven to roast, from room temperature, for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 180C, 160C fan, 350F, gas 4. Check the lamb after 45 minutes; it may need a further 10 to 20 minutes.
3. Leave the lamb to rest for 20 minutes before serving.