Lamb saddle with herbed stuffing recipe

Easy to prepare and carve, our lamb saddle with herbed stuffing makes an ideal Easter main.

This cut of lamb saddle is tender and full of flavour and is worth spending a little more on if you're celebrating. Lamb is a popular and traditional choice of meat for Easter roasts. It originates before the birth of Christianity but has close ties to the religion. Jesus is described as the lamb of God by John the Baptist. This signifies how Jesus was sacrificed for the sins of humanity just as lambs were often sacrificed for religious ceremonies.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg boned saddle of lamb
• 6 cloves garlic
• Small bunch, rosemary, leaves picked
• Small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• 6 Anchovies
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 4tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

You will need:

• Kitchen twine
• Large baking tray

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the garlic, rosemary leaves, chopped parsley, anchovies, juice and zest of the lemon, 2tbsp olive oil and 1/2tsp black pepper in a small food processor and blitz until everything has combined and is finely chopped up. If it seems a little dry you can mix through a little extra oil. Leave to one side.
2. Place the lamb saddle fat side down on a clean, flat surface (a chopping board will work well). Spread the herby mixture down the middle of the meat and roll the saddle into a sausage shape. Tie the saddle together with kitchen twine to ensure the derby mixture doesn’t fall out during cooking. 
3. Rub the saddle all over with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan and once hot sear the meat all over to give it a nice golden colour. Place into a baking tray.  
4. Roast in the oven for 45mins to 1hr depending on how pink you like your meat. Lamb is best served pink. Leave to rest for at least 15mins before serving.

Top tips for making lamb saddle with herbed stuffing:

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• Swap the garlic cloves for wild garlic when in season. It's available from late winter until the end of spring and is very easy to forage
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• To ensure you don't overcook the meat we recommend using a digital meat thermometer
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• Weigh your lamb saddle before stuffing it so that you can calculate the correct cooking time and avoid overcooking
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• Don't worry if you don't like anchovies, they melt and provide a great savoury undertone to the dish. If you prefer or have allergies you could swap with capers, olives or just a good pinch of quality sea salt flakes
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• For a change to the traditional roast sides, try serving this lamb with our easy couscous salad or some hasselback potatoes
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What cut is a lamb saddle?

Saddle of lamb is a popular cut of meat for roasting as it is easy to carve. It is made up of the lamb loins on both side of the animal and can be purchased with the bone in or removed. The saddle of lamb meat is tender and flavoursome and perfectly designed for stuffing.

Is saddle of lamb expensive?

This cut of lamb is more expensive compared to the shoulder or leg and is unlikely to be sold pre-packaged in supermarkets. Some supermarkets with fresh meat counters sell a saddle of lamb but we'd recommend going to your local butcher to avoid disappointment.

Related features:

Easter lamb recipes

Slimming World's leg of lamb

Baked lamb steaks