Stuffed Leg of Lamb - Chef David Russo, Instructor of Culinary Arts, Ivy Tech State College.

This was the entree for Chef Russo's Easter dinner class.  The leg of lamb was butterflied and pounded.  Then Chef Russon place the filling on the meat, rolled it up and tied it in place.  Students at the class replied with oohs and aahs when this dish was served.  It is easier than it looks on paper.  Why not try it for one of your special occasions?

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced shallot
1 cup pine nuts
1 ½ cups crumbled goat cheese
½ cup chopped mint
1 cup assorted dried fruits
1 (5 pound) leg of lamb, deboned, butterflied
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cut six 2-foot lengths of butcher’s twine.

In a small skillet, sauté shallots and pine nuts in butter 1 minute or until the pine nuts are lightly toasted.  Transfer to a small bowl and mix well with goat cheese, dried fruits, and mint; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange lamb on work surface, inside facing up.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap over lamb and pound with a meat mallet to flatten meat slightly, if needed, until leg is a fairly even thickness.  Remove plastic wrap and generously season inside and outside of lamb.

Mound stuffing mixture lengthwise along one side of lamb; roll up lamb over stuffing, tucking in ends.