Roast leg of lamb with date and herb stuffing recipe

This roast leg of lamb with date and herb stuffing recipe is so easy to make and a great way of adding a large amount of flavour to your leg of lamb. The date and herb stuffing is a great accompaniment to a roast leg of lamb. The perfect centre piece for a family Sunday lunch, Easter Sunday or another special occasion, this lamb is delicious with a rich homemade gravy. This recipe serves 4-6 people and will take around 2hrs and 20 mins to prepare and cook - it's well worth the wait! Cooking the lamb on a low heat over a long period of time will make sure it is succulent, bursting with flavour and will fall off the bone when it comes to serving.

Looking for the perfect side dish? Why not try our super easy and delicious cauliflower cheese recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 x 1.3kg lean whole or carvery lamb leg joint
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 30ml/2tbsp olive oil

For the date and herb stuffing:

• 25g butter
• 2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 100g fresh breadcrumbs
• 75g finely chopped stoned dates
• Large bunch freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Grated zest of 1 lemon

For the gravy:

• 25g plain flour
• 600ml good, hot lamb stock
• 150ml medium white wine

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180-190°C/350-375°F/Gas Mark 4-5.
2. To prepare the stuffing; melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onions until soft. Remove from the heat, add the remaining stuffing ingredients and season.
3. Place the joint on a chopping board and make several slits over the surface with a sharp knife. Season on both sides and push the mixture into the slits. Shape any remaining stuffing mixture into small balls and cook separately until golden for 15-20 minutes towards the end of the lamb cooking time.
4. Transfer the joint to a metal rack in a large non-stick roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and open roast for the preferred, calculated cooking time (see below), basting occasionally with any meat juices. Cover with foil if browning too quickly. Cooking times: Medium: 25 min per 450g plus 25 min Well done: 30 min per 450g plus 30 min
5. Remove the joint from the oven, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy; spoon off any excess fat from the roasting tin and discard. Place the tin over a medium heat and sprinkle over the flour. Stir well with a small whisk or spoon, add a little wine and stir again, scraping the base of the pan to release any rich lamb sediment.
6. Add the remaining wine, stock and any meat juices from the lamb, adjust the seasoning, if required and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain before serving.
7. Serve with seasonal vegetables, the gravy and the remaining cooked stuffing balls.