Roast Lamb

Roast Lamb has always been an popular dish in our house for years, mostly prepared for holiday celebrations as a pleasing treat.  I grew up as a kid eating Lamb, as my father is from New Zealand and my Mom cooked Lamb dinners frequently. It has a mild gamey flavour and we usually serve it up with homemade gravy and mint sauce along with delicious roasted veggies!

1 New Zealand Spring Lamb leg or shoulder roast, frozen or fresh from your butcher
Dry mustard
Ground black pepper
Rosemary

I usually cook it frozen or slightly frozen as it helps to keep a lot of the moisture in the meat that way.

Place the roast fat side up in a clay or metal roasting pan and season the roast with the dry mustard, pepper and rosemary.

Bake in a slow oven at 300 degrees for 1 hour and then turn up the temperature to 375 degrees and continue cooking it for another 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until thermometer reaches the desired reading.

Remove from pan and set aside covered with foil while you prepare to roast the veggies in oven for 45-60 mins. Boil cut veggies first for 5 mins or so to cook them slightly and reserve water for gravy later. Once the veggies are roasted you can remove them from the pan and put them in another oven proof dish and leave them in oven to keep them warm in there while you make the gravy.

To make gravy:

Add extra vegetable oil (if needed to the roasting pan) there should be about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oil in pan to make gravy and just enough flour to stir in and make a loose paste with the oil and any drippings. With roasting pan over medium heat on top of the elements on stove start adding some of the reserved potato/veggie water, a little at a time to the pan whisking in until it blends in smoothly, then keep adding more water gradually until you get the desired thickness.  Add a teaspoon or two of mint sauce to the gravy at the end to give it a nice flavour!

Serve with Mint Sauce!

Stuffed Turkey Breast

3 cups chicken stock, simmering
¼ cup dry wine
2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
Butcher’s twine or kitchen string, for tying rolled turkey
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
7 ounces Swiss chard, blanched, strained and chopped
2.2 pounds turkey breast
10 to 12 slices prosciutto or pancetta

Turkey stuffing with garlic, pancetta, chard or beet greens

2-3 cups of Bread crumbs
Garlic
Onion
1/2 tsp each of Rosemary, thyme, savoury & sage
Salt / pepper
1/4 cup Chicken stock water
1/4 cup Butter / olive oil
1 cup chopped Chard or beet greens

Preparation:

In a sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. When butter starts to sizzle, add garlic and onion then blanched or frozen Swiss chard and salt and pepper. Sauté the Swiss chard for 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool. Set aside.

To make stuffing: In a small bowl, combine Swiss chard mixture, bread crumbs and herbs with olive oil. Season the stuffing lightly with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To butterfly the turkey breast: Without slicing all the way through, cut the turkey breast in half horizontally and open it up like a book into one bigger piece. Place between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. With meat mallet or rolling pin, gently pound to even thickness, as thinly as possible.

Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and lightly season the turkey with salt and pepper. Leaving a 1-inch border, top turkey with stuffing. Gently and carefully, roll up the stuffed turkey. Tie turkey roll with butcher’s twine or kitchen string.

Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil. When oil is hot, add stuffed turkey and brown evenly on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer turkey to oven dish. Turn and baste turkey with a ladleful of simmering stock every 10 to 15 minutes. Roast turkey until juices run clear and meat is no longer pink, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove turkey from pan. Tent with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

To make pan sauce:  Place the oven dish with the turkey drippings over medium high heat  (Be careful remember the handle is hot.) Add wine and chicken stock bring to a boil. Let drippings reduce until slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 tbsp. butter to thicken the sauce. Whisk to blend