Rolled Loin of Lamb with Wild Garlic Farce

⏱ 95 min · Serves 4

A spring showstopper: boned lamb loin wrapped around a vivid wild garlic and pork farce, roasted pink and sliced into glossy spirals. Serve with crushed Jersey Royals and a spoonful of glossy pan jus for a plate that looks straight out of a country restaurant.

Per serving: 735 kcal · 50.0g protein · 32.0g carbs · 45.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 whole lamb loin (about 700g), boned, trimmed, belly flap left attached
• 150g minced pork shoulder (or good sausagemeat)
• 80g wild garlic leaves, washed and dried
• 40g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp double cream
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 25g butter
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 150ml dry white wine
• 250ml good lamb or chicken stock
• 1 tsp redcurrant jelly
• Butcher's string
• 600g Jersey Royal or new potatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 30g butter, for the potatoes

Method

1. Blanch 60g of the wild garlic in boiling salted water for 10 seconds, refresh in iced water, squeeze bone dry and chop finely. Shred the remaining 20g raw and set aside.
2. For the farce, mix the minced pork with the chopped blanched wild garlic, breadcrumbs, egg yolk, cream, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt and plenty of pepper. Fry a teaspoon to check the seasoning, then chill for 15 minutes.
3. Lay the lamb loin skin-side down on a board, open out the belly flap and season the inside. Spread the farce in a line along the length of the loin, scatter over the shredded raw wild garlic, then roll up tightly and tie at 3cm intervals with string.
4. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Season the outside of the roll well. Heat the olive oil in a heavy ovenproof pan and brown the lamb all over, 6-8 minutes, until deeply golden.
5. Add the butter, thyme and bruised garlic, baste for a minute, then transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 20-24 minutes, until a probe reads 56-58C at the centre for blushing pink.
6. Lift the lamb onto a warm plate, cover loosely and rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain, crush lightly with the butter and chives and keep warm.
7. Pour off excess fat from the pan, add the wine and reduce by two thirds, scraping the base. Add the stock and redcurrant jelly and simmer to a light, glossy jus. Strain and check seasoning.
8. Snip off the string and carve the lamb into thick spirals. Serve on the crushed potatoes with the jus spooned around.