Recipe of the Week: Lamb Shoulder Roulade

A “roulade” refers to a culinary technique of spreading a seasoned farce or filling on a flattened piece of food (in this case meat, and more specifically lamb), then rolling it into a cylinder before cooking. This technique can be applied to desserts such as sponge cake, but it works very well with meat to make a highly seasoned and interesting roast.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 cups breadcrumbs
4 anchovies, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 tbsp capers in vinegar, minced
2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 (4 lbs) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat
to taste salt and pepper
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp olive oil

Method: 

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2) Make the stuffing: in a work bowl mix the breadcrumbs, anchovies, garlic, shallots, capers, Pecorino, rosemary, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

3) Lay the lamb shoulder on a cutting board, skin side down. Using a knife, butterfly open any muscles that are large, so that you have a relatively flat piece of meat. Avoid slicing through the skin side, and don’t worry if you’ve scored the meat side a few times - it won’t affect the final roast. Season the meat side with salt and pepper, and spread the dijon mustard over the meat.

4) Spread the stuffing over the meat, and press it into the crevices of the shoulder. Working from the left to right, roll the shoulder so it becomes a pinwheel of sorts. Use strong butcher’s twine to tie the roulade in at least 5-6 places to hold its shape. Season the outside with salt and pepper and rub all over with olive oil.

5) Place the shoulder on an elevated roasting rack. Roast the lamb for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature is to your liking (140°F for medium). Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes before removing the butcher's twine and slicing thinly to serve.