Bay leaf and pepper-crusted leg of lamb with hot cross bun stuffing

European 30 Mins Prep · 120 Mins Cook

1. Place the bay leaves, peppercorns and salt in a pestle and mortar and grind well. Zest the lemon.
2. Butterfly the lamb leg and season it on all sides with 1 tablespoon of the spice mix.
3. Place the remaining spice mix in a food processor along with the zest, parsley, 120g of butter and fresh bread to form a paste.
4. Lay a sheet of cling film on a flat surface. Transfer the crust mixture onto it and top with another sheet of cling film. Roll out thinly with a rolling pin. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6.
6. To make the stuffing, finely chop 1 onion and the garlic. Melt 100g of butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, approx. 5 minutes. Roughly tear the hot cross buns and toast in a dry pan until golden. Add to the first pan along with the stock (chicken or lamb). Allow to cool completely.
7. Place the stuffing in the middle of the deboned lamb leg and roll it up tightly. Tie the leg with kitchen string to secure it.
8. Roughly chop the remaining onion, carrot and celery sticks and scatter into a roasting tray. Place the lamb on top.
9. Roast the lamb for approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes, pouring 4 tablespoons of water over the lamb every 15 minutes. In the last 15 minutes, remove the lamb from the oven. Carefully remove one sheet of cling film from the thinly rolled-out crust mixture. Flip the crust onto the lamb so it covers the meat and gently press it onto the surface of the meat while removing the remaining piece of cling film. Pour 250ml of water into the roasting tin. Return the lamb to the oven for the remaining 15 minutes of cooking or until the crust is crispy.
10. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

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