Porcini and Artichoke Stuffed Leg of Lamb

Stuffing a roast elevates it into something so exceptional it can become the centerpiece for a special celebration or holiday meal, such as Easter. Deboning a roast requires some knife skills, but boneless leg-of-lamb, already butterflied, is readily available from a decent butcher. All you need to do is unroll it and spoon on your stuffing, then roll it back up and re-tie.

By Bruce Aidells

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 ounce Dried porcini mushroom
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/3 cup Shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
1 ½ cups 1 box frozen and thawed artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
1 cup Soft bread crumbs , (made from day-old bread)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 teaspoons Fresh Oregano, chopped
1 Egg, beaten
1 4-5 pound boneless leg of lamb
3 tablespoons Fresh Oregano, chopped
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Black Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions

To make the stuffing:Pour boiling water over the mushrooms to cover and soak at least 30 minutes or up to several hours. Drain and finely chop the mushrooms. Set aside. Save the liquid to use in a soup or sauce at another time.
Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add artichokes and cook 2 minutes more.
In a medium bowl, combine reserved mushrooms, chopped artichoke hearts, shallots and garlic mixture, bread crumbs, cheese, oregano and egg. Mix until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread stuffing on a plate or small pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes or more or until cool and firm. Proceed to prepare lamb, or cover the stuffing and finish the recipe up to 24 hours later.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spread out lamb fat side down on your work surface and spread the stuffing into the gashes and areas left by the removal of the bones. Reform lamb into a cylindrical shape and tie in 4-6 places with kitchen string
In a small bowl combine, oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil. Brush this mixture all over the lamb and place lamb fat side up on a rack inside a roasting pan. Place lamb in the middle of the oven and roast for an hour or until the internal temperature of the thickest part is 130°-135° F when measured with an instant read thermometer or a cable-type digital continuous read thermometer. Set lamb aside, loosely covered with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. The lamb should be mostly medium rare except for the more cooked ends. Slice into 1/2-inch slices and be sure to remove any string before serving at once.