Sephardic Roast Stuffed Lamb With Egg, Lemon Crust   Kodredo Relleno Al Forno - meat


1/4 cup olive oil, plus oil for rubbing on lamb
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped (1 1/2 tablespoons)
2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped
3 boards matzo or 1 1/2 cups matzo farfel
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock, warmed, plus additional stock if needed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1 foresaddle of lamb, rib bones removed and backbone left in
1/2 cup meat stock, KLP dry red wine, or water for deglazing, optional

For the egg/lemon crust (optional):

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill leaves
8 large eggs, well beaten

Start preparations a day before you plan to serve. To prepare stuffing, heat oil in a wide, deep saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, reduce the heat slightly, and cook 2 more minutes. Add spinach and cook until leaves wilt. Remove from heat.

Break matzo into small pieces and put them into a mixing bowl with stock. If using matzo farfel, pour the pieces into the bowl containing stock. Let rest 2 minutes. Drain whatever stock is not absorbed into another container. You should have a little more than 1 1/4 cups stock left. If you don't, add additional stock to make 1 1/4 cups.

Combine soaked matzo, spinach mixture, pine nuts, parsley, dill, mint,
chives, salt and pepper to taste and egg in mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Lay lamb flat on a board; place stuffing in the cavity of the meat. Stuff the pockets that are opened under the ribs; distribute stuffing evenly to both sides of backbone.

Thread trussing needle with kitchen thread and sew up the cavity of the lamb wherever there are openings. Truss the meat and tie it with kitchen string.

Rub the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and black pepper. Lay it on the roasting pan's rack. Roast the meat for 25 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Roast the meat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, basting occasionally with reserved 1 1/4 cups stock. When you have used up all the stock, continue to baste meat, using a bulb baster, with pan juices.

Remove lamb; test for doneness with a meat thermometer. It will register 150 degrees for medium and 160 degrees for well done. Remove lamb from pan and set on a platter to cool. Remove the liquid from the roasting pan and set it aside in a container. If you wish, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup meat stock, wine or water by placing the pan on a burner over medium heat and scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add to the pan juices. Cover and refrigerate. Let meat cool, cover and refrigerate.

If you do not wish to serve the lamb with the egg/lemon crust, slice the meat into attractive thin slices and reheat it, covered, in a baking dish at 350 degrees. You will need at least two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes. Reheat the gravy and serve with the lamb.

If you wish to serve it with the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring the whole, uncut roast to room temperature. Remove trussing strings, set it on the rack of the roasting pan, and warm in the oven for 15 minutes.

While the meat is warming, beat lemon juice, salt, pepper and dill into eggs.

Remove the meat from the oven and change the setting to broil, or preheat your broiler to 500 degrees.

Pour egg/lemon mixture over the meat. Put it under the broiler for 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown. It will puff up slightly as it broils. The crust will be crisp on the outside and custardlike on the inside. Remove the meat from oven and let it rest 15 minutes before carving. Serve in attractive slices, with a little of the reheated gravy poured over.

Yield: 16 to 20 servings.

Original source: THE SEPHARDIC KITCHEN Rabbi Robert Sternberg