Stuffed lamb with apricots, pistachios and greens

By: Andy Harris
From: Eat Istanbul
Serves: 4
Photographer: David Loftus

You can vary the stuffing for this recipe if you want – try prunes, spring onions, boiled carrots and eggs, for example. It is well worth the extra time it takes to stuff and tie this impressive dish.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1kg	boned shoulder or leg of lamb
350g	chicory or spinach, roughly chopped
100g	dried apricots, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, then roughly chopped
150g	shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
2	red onions, peeled and sliced into thin rings
2	garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon	ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon	paprika
1/2 teaspoon	dried oregano
1 tablespoon	extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking
	sea salt
	freshly ground black pepper

To serve

Quantity	Ingredient
500g	chicory or spinach, boiled with ½ lemon

Equipment

Quantity	Ingredient
	kitchen string

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butterfly the lamb by carefully slicing it horizontally from one side to within 1cm of the other side. Trim off the excess fat. Open out the piece of lamb and pound it with a meat mallet to flatten it. Spread the chicory or spinach on top, then arrange the apricots and pistachios over the chicory or spinach at regular intervals. Scatter the onion rings and garlic on top, then sprinkle with the cumin, paprika and oregano. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Carefully roll up the filled lamb like a Swiss roll and tie it up tightly with kitchen string at 3-cm intervals.
Place the lamb in a roasting tin, season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour some water and a drizzle of olive oil into the tin. Roast in the preheated oven for about 1–1½ hours until cooked, basting occasionally. Turn the heat up to 220°C for the last 15 minutes of cooking to brown the top of the lamb. Leave the lamb to cool before serving warm or even cold with the cooked chicory or spinach.