Lamb Stuffed with Greens        
Posted by: B2 Thu, 23 Sep 2004, at 10:34 a.m.

Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (Reserve and chop the fronds for use at the end of the recipe.)
3 cups scallions
3 cups chard
3 tablespoons minced garlic (plus 8 cloves of garlic slivered and inserted into the lamb)
1 tablespoon fennel seed
2 tablespoons oregano
1 cup feta cheese
Pepper to taste

 
Directions:
Note: Other types of greens can be used, such as miner's lettuce, baby spinach and escarole.

Saute/ the fennel until soft, then add the scallions and the garlic and saute/ for five minutes more, then add the chard and saute/ until wilted.

Turn off the heat and add the fennel seed, oregano and pepper, and stir to combine. Divide the stuffing reserving half in a bowl. Add the feta to the remaining stuffing in the skillet.

Open the boneless butterflied leg of lamb flat on a work surface, lard it with the silvered garlic, put the stuffing with the feta in the lamb, and fold the lamb closed, tying it with butcher's string.

Put the remaining stuffing on top of the lamb and marinate it for three to 24 hours under refrigeration. Then scrape off the exterior greens and reserve before roasting the lamb.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Brush the lamb with olive oil. Roast at 450 F for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, put one cup of white wine in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Add the reserved greens to the wine and turn off the heat.

Remove the lamb from the oven and baste it with the wine and greens mixture. Return the lamb to the 450 F oven and roast for five more minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 375 F. Cook the lamb for another 40 minutes or more, until an instant-read thermometer reads 135 F for rare. Remove the lamb, top with the chopped fennel fronds, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.