Leg of lamb with herb and pinenut stuffing

Method

1. Remove lamb from the refrigerator two hours before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Season well.

2. Preheat oven to 180C.

3. For the stuffing, heat one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on low heat. Add onion, garlic and salt and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add pinenuts and currants and cook for one minute. Add honey and red wine vinegar. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

4. Pick and chop the leaves from the parsley, thyme and rosemary. Place in a food processor and blend while slowly pouring in remaining oil. Add the pecorino, pulse a few times then add the breadcrumbs, pulsing again until it just comes together. Remove from processor and combine with cooled pinenut mixture. Check seasoning.

5. Place deboned lamb, fat side down, on a chopping board. Place stuffing in the middle along the whole length inside the lamb. Roll lamb from one side to the other. Tie with string along the length of the rolled up leg at three centimetre intervals. Rub with oil and put in a large roasting tin. Cook for 30 minutes then reduce temperature to 160C. After about 40 more minutes, start checking the meat's core temperature. Continue to roast until it reaches about 55 to 56C. Rest for 30 minutes.

6. To serve, removed string, slice and serve with any juices from the roasting pan.

Tip for barbecue: If you have good control of your barbecue this is also an awesome one to cook slowly with the smoke from the charcoal adding another level of flavour. Do yourself a favour and buy a meat thermometer; it will have you cooking perfect meat every time like a professional. You can roast it rare, medium-rare or medium, whatever is your preference, and it's a no brainier.