Any occasion is a good excuse for a roast, so why not try a few of Julia’s stuffings to jazz it up? Serve with her exquisite garlic sauce, which uses a whole head of garlic. Fear not, the garlic is blanched twice, which tames the flavour, then it’s simmered gently to develop the lovely aromas.
The best cut for this type of stuffed lamb roast is the leg. If you want it medium-rare to medium (a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part should read about 57C to 60C) it will be done in 60 to 75 minutes at 180C–200C, depending on the size of your roast. For braising and slow cooking, where you want the meat to fall apart, we prefer the shoulder, a fattier and more flavoursome cut, which will require four to five hours at 150C–160C.
When making your stuffing, we recommend frying and tasting a small amount to check if the seasoning is right before using. Your roast will only benefit from this small effort—it’s a little trick of the trade employed by professional cooks.
Garlic Sauce for Roast Lamb
Herb & Garlic
Pork & Herb
Olive & Minced Lamb
Salmon & Anchovy
Method
Garlic Sauce for Roast Lamb
Time 57 minutes in the Thermomix Makes 400 grams
- Place garlic cloves in mixing bowl with 1000 gram of the cold water and cook 10 minutes/100 degrees/Reverse/speed soft.
- Drain the garlic cloves using the simmering basket, run under cold water to cool down and peel them.
- Return garlic to the emptied mixing bowl, add 1 kilogram of cold water and cook again 10 minutes/100 degrees/Reverse/speed soft; then drain and run under cold water. Set aside.
- Without washing the bowl, place milk, a pinch of salt, dried herbs and the rice in the mixing bowl and cook 3 minutes/98 degrees/speed 1(90 degrees for TM31). Add reserved blanched garlic and stock and cook 30 minutes/98 degrees/speed 1 (90 degrees for TM31) with the simmering basket in place of the measuring cup.
- Blend 1 minute/speed 9 increasing speed gradually from 5–9. Check seasoning and correct if needed.
- Set aside and reheat when needed.
AND… Important: once you have roasted your lamb and degreased the pan, deglaze the roasting dish over the stove with 2–3 tablespoons of stock or water, scraping off the coagulated juices. Strain into the garlic sauce and stir in for extra goodness.
Herb & Garlic
Time 9 seconds in the Thermomix
- Place the garlic clove, parsley and rosemary or thyme in mixing bowl and chop 3 seconds/speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl, add shallots and chop 3 seconds/speed 5.
- Scrape down sides of the bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix 3 seconds/speed 5.
- Spread mixture over the boned lamb leg or shoulder, roll and tie firmly.
Pork & Herb
Time 5 minutes in the Thermomix; 5 minutes soaking crumbs
- Place garlic clove, parsley and sage (or rosemary or thyme) in mixing bowl and chop 3 seconds/speed 7. Set aside.
- Without washing the bowl, chop the onion 3 seconds/speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl, add butter and sauté 4 minutes/Varoma/speed 1 with no measuring cup.
- Meanwhile, soak breadcrumbs in beef stock in a small bowl for 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve, pressing out as much liquid as you can (save the liquid for the garlic sauce) then add the breadcrumbs to mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients then mix 10 seconds/Reverse/speed 5.
- Sauté a small amount of the mixture in a little oil in a hot frying pan. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to remaining stuffing mixture if needed.
- Spread the stuffing over the boned lamb leg or shoulder, roll and tie firmly.
Olive & Minced Lamb
Time 5 minutes in the Thermomix; 5 minutes soaking crumbs
- Place olives in mixing bowl with water and cook 10 minutes/90 degrees/speed soft. Strain using the simmering basket and return cooked olives to the emptied mixing bowl.
- Add onion and garlic then chop 3 seconds/speed 5. Scrape down sides of the bowl, add butter and sauté 3 minutes/Varoma/speed 1 with no measuring cup.
- Meanwhile, soak breadcrumbs in the beef stock in a small bowl for 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve pressing out as much liquid as you can (you may save the liquid to use in garlic sauce, page 50) and add the breadcrumbs to the mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients then mix 10 seconds/Reverse/speed 5.
- Sauté a small amount of the mixture in a little oil in a hot frying pan. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to remaining stuffing mixture if needed.
- Spread stuffing over the boned lamb leg or shoulder, roll and tie firmly.
Salmon & Anchovy
Time 5 minutes in the Thermomix
- Place the garlic clove and onion in the mixing bowl and chop 3 seconds/speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl, add butter and sauté 4 minutes/Varoma/speed 1 with no measuring cup.
- Add anchovies then chop 5 seconds/speed 7, then add remaining ingredients and mix 10 seconds/Reverse/speed 5.
- Sauté a small amount of the mixture in a little oil in a hot frying pan. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to remaining stuffing mixture if needed.
- Spread stuffing over the boned lamb leg or shoulder, roll and tie firmly.