Crown of Lamb Recipe

a crown of lamb is a stunning centrepiece that makes a change from roast beef or a leg of lamb. This succulent joint of lamb is stuffed with a rich and fruity stuffing, and tastes just as good as it looks! If you’re bored of turkey, why not try making a crown of lamb as a Christmas main dish. This easy to make dish can be prepared in advance then just popped in the oven on the day. For another Christmas day turkey alternative, you could try a beautiful rib of beef with horseradish. For more ideas with lamb, check out our lovely lamb recipe collection.

HOW TO MAKE CROWN OF LAMB

Ingredients

• 16 x bone (2 racks of 8) rack of lamb, crown-tied (ask your butcher to do this)
• a little butter

For the stuffing:

• 1tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 75g breadcrumbs
• 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 60g dried cranberries
• 60g dried apricots, chopped
• 50g pistachios, chopped
• 2tsp zatar or ras-el-hanout
• 1 beaten egg, to bind

Method

1. To make the stuffing: heat the oil and cook the onion until softened, add the garlic and cook for a few more mins. Put into a bowl then add all the remaining stuffing ingredients and mix well to combine.
2. Heat the oven to 200C. Pack as much stuffing as you can into the lamb crown cavity and put the rest into a buttered ovenproof dish. Dot with butter and cover with foil.
3. Cover the stuffing and bones with foil and roast for 40 minutes for just pink lamb. While the lamb is resting, uncover the stuffing in the dish and brown for 5 more minutes in the oven.