Roast Coastal Lamb Shoulder with Prune and Orange Stuffing

Article Image - Coastal Lamb

Prep timePrep: 15 mins

Cook timeCooking Time: 1 hour 20 mins

ServesServes: 6

 

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless shoulder of Coastal Lamb
  • 200g moist pitted prunes
  • small glass port wine
  • Juice and zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 slices stale white bread, crusts removed and made into breadcrumbs in the food processor
  • Small bunch flat-leafed parsley, chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method

To make the stuffing, place the prunes in a small saucepan with the port and orange juice, and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave to cool and the prunes will absorb most of the liquid. When cooled, chop the prunes coarsely, retaining any leftover liquid.

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan, add the onion and cook over a gentle heat until softened. Add the breadcrumbs, prunes and leftover liquid, and the parsley. Mix together well, season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Open out the boned lamb and spread the stuffing over the inside surface. Roll up and tie neatly with string. Season the outside with a little more salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. Cook for 45 minutes and then remove from the oven. You can check if the lamb is cooked by piercing through to the centre with a meat skewer. The juices should be very pale pink – if they are dark pink or red, the lamb will be very rare and may need a little longer in the oven.

After resting the meat in a warm place for 10 minutes, remove the string, cut the lamb into thick slices and serve one slice per person with fresh seasonal vegetables.