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Boneless Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Swiss
Chard and Feta
Ingredients:
1 lb Swiss chard the stems discarded and the leaves chopped coarse
6 large garlic cloves sliced thin lengthwise
3 tbs olive oil
1/4 lb Feta crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
8-pound leg of lamb, boned, butterflied, and trimmed well (4 to 5pounds
boneless)
1 1/2 tsp crumbled dried rosemary or to taste
1 onion sliced
1 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
Directions:
Wash the Swiss chard well, drain it, and in a heavy saucepan steam it in the
water clinging to the leaves, covered, over moderate heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or
until it is wilted. Drain the chard in a colander, refresh it
under cold water, and squeeze it dry in a kitchen towel. In a skillet cook the
garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is
pale golden and transfer it with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
To the skillet add the chard, cook it, stirring, for 1 minute, or until any
excess liquid is evaporated, and transfer it to the bowl. Let the chard mixture
cool and stir in the Feta.
Pat the lamb dry, arrange it, boned side up, on a work surface, and season
it with salt and pepper. Spread the lamb evenly with the chard mixture, leaving
a 1-inch border around the edges, beginning with a short side roll
it up jelly-roll fashion, and tie it tightly with kitchen string. (The rolled
and tied roast may look ungainly, but it will improve in appearance
when cooked.)
Transfer the lamb to a roasting pan and rub it all over with the remaining
1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.
Roast the lamb in the middle of a preheated 325F. oven for 30 minutes, scatter
the onion around it in the pan, and roast the lamb for 1 to 1 1/4 hours more (a
total of 20 minutes cooking time for each pound of boneless meat), or until a
meat thermometer registers 140F. for medium-rare meat. Transfer the lamb to a
cutting board and let it stand for 20 minutes.
While the lamb is standing, skim the fat from the pan drippings, and set the
roasting pan over moderately high heat. Add the wine, deglaze the pan, scraping
up the brown bits, and boil the mixture until it is reduced by half. Strain the
mixture through a fine sieve into a saucepan, add the
broth, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, the water, and any juices that
have accumulated on the cutting board, and boil the mixture until it is reduced
to about 2 cups. Stir the cornstarch mixture, add it to the wine mixture,
whisking, and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and
pepper and keep it warm.
Discard the strings from the lamb, arrange the lamb on a heated platter, and
surround it with the quinoa timbales and clusters of the carrots.
Strain the sauce into a heated sauceboat and serve it with the lamb, sliced.
Serves 6.
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