How to roast a lamb leg paupiette
A paupiette is a traditional butcher's preparation, hailing from the north of France. For these, meat is butterflied, stuffed, trussed and tied to create a super flavoursome roast that is easy to cook and carve. This Easter, Troy has created a green olive and saltbush paupiette to crown your celebrations. For this we debone whole local lamb legs, and stuff them with olive tapenade and fresh saltbush before trussing, ready to roast. It's deeply savoury, delicious and will generously serve five people.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
Butter
Dry, woody herbs like rosemary and oregano
Searing the paupiette
Season the paupiette all over with salt then rub with olive oil.
Warm a frying pan to a medium heat, then add a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Place the paupiette face down in the pan and sear until golden brown. Using tongs, turn the paupiette around in the pan so that all sides are seared.
Add a large knob of butter to the pan, then baste the lamb with the butter as it melts untl the lamb is evenly coloured and the caul fat has rendered.
Roasting and resting the paupiette
Place the paupiette in a roasting dish with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and oregano, then put the dish into a preheated 180C oven.
Roast the lamb for 40 minutes for a medium cuisson. Remove the lamb from the oven and place it on a tray to rest (covered) for 20 minutes.
Preparing a pan sauce & carving the lamb
Make a pan sauce with the residual roasting juices while the lamb rests.
Use a spoon to remove a majority of the fat from the roasting dish, then tip any remaining juices from the pan into a small saucepan.
Bring the saucepan to a medium heat, then add a jar of lamb sauce and whisk.
Thicken the sauce by combining a teaspoon of flour with a teaspoon of butter. Slowly add this mixture to the saucepan, continuing to whisk throughout.
When the sauce begins to thicken and is glossy, remove the pan from the heat. Add any remaining resting juices to the pan and place to the side.
Carve the lamb by first removing the butcher's string. Take a sharp knife and carve into thin pieces, directly across the lamb.
Arrange the lamb on a warmed serving platter and dress with the pan sauce and fresh herbs.
