Roasted Lamb Nuggets with Anchovy, Bacon and Shallot Stuffing

(Serves 4-6)

This is a really tasty roast which is not that much bother to prepare. It’s also easy to slice. Serve it with an aubergine and bean salad, or lemony kumara (sweet potatoes) and green beans. And bring out the pinot!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped peeled shallots
• 100g free-range streaky bacon, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 anchovies in oil
• 1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
• 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 medium (size 6) free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 2 x 375g lamb nuggets (single muscle ‘roasts’ sometimes called pan roasts)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Method

1 Put shallots, bacon and garlic in a small frying pan with butter, cover with a lid and set on a low heat. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, until tender and lightly golden. Cool.

2 Drain anchovies, mop with paper towels, then mash with a fork. Add rosemary and anchovies to shallot mixture, then mix in crumbs and egg.

3 Remove silverskin (membrane) from lamb by slipping a small sharp knife between silverskin and meat, and pulling away the silverskin as you slide the knife over the meat (this makes the lamb more tender). Slit lamb roasts open to form a deep cavity for the stuffing. Season meat with salt and black pepper. Fill cavities with stuffing and tie up roasts neatly with string.

4 Preheat oven to 200°C (fanbake). Heat olive oil in a shallow roasting tin over medium heat - choose one which fits the lamb snugly. Add lamb and brown quickly on one side. Turn meat over, then transfer to oven. Cook for 15 minutes, turning lamb once during cooking. Remove from oven, salt lightly, then let lamb rest for about 7 minutes before slicing thinly. Pour wine into roasting tin, set tin over medium heat and bubble up.

5 Arrange meat on a heated platter and pour over pan juices. Serve immediately.