Slow-roast Easter stuffed lamb

This is a slow roasted stuffed lamb with a herby nutty mushroom filling that has fork-tender meat but slices like a dream, roasted on a bed of fondant potatoes cooked “confit-style” in the lamb drippings. Plus gravy. Give me a second. I need to sit down after describing that!

A sparkling new lamb masterpiece for Easter

It’s been a few years since I’ve shared a sparkling new Easter centrepiece, and I figured we were due for something with show-off vibes that’s still totally doable for home cooks like you and me.

So here it is – and it’s a knockout. JB is back with a vengeance!!

Not your average stuffed lamb

This isn’t your average stuffed lamb roast. The mushroom duxelle stuffing itself is something special, loaded with herby, nutty flavour. But what really sets it apart is the amount of filling – way more than the usual skimpy layer you see in typical stuffed roasts. Then it’s slow-roasted so the meat is fork-tender and juicy, yet slices like a dream to show off the stuffing.

And if that weren’t enough, the potatoes roast in the same pan, soaking up the lamb drippings until they’re meltingly tender, confit-style – like fondant potatoes on steroids. And the gravy!!

That first bite – juicy lamb, herby nutty filling, melting potatoes, smothered in the rich gravy – this is the sort of food I dream of!

Easter stuffed lamb — Freezing the stuffing makes it easier to roll and keeps it round inside the lamb.

Ingredients in Easter slow-roast stuffed lamb

1. Lamb shoulder

Lamb leg seems to be the default option for stuffing and rolling which is best cooked to blushing-pink medium rare (because it’s a lean cut). I’ve gone with lamb shoulder because I had a vision of slow-cooked fork-tender meat that still slices neatly to show off the filling. It’s also a juicier cut of meat that’s more forgiving to cook – ie easier and tastier!

Lamb shoulder is a tougher cut that needs slow cooking, which makes it super forgiving and easy to work with. I usually roast it bone-in for maximum juiciness (proof here and here and here and here), but for this recipe, we need it boneless. Easy to find at Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms (I’m in Australia) or your friendly butcher.

Other cuts: Lamb leg works too, but because it’s a leaner cut of meat, it isn’t as succulent. Gravy goes a long way to compensate, but I still think it’s a lot of effort to make when the outcome isn’t as good as it can be. See FAQ section for non-lamb options – beef and pork.

2. HERB AND NUT MUSHROOM STUFFING

The stuffing is a duxelle – sounds fancy (it’s French), but it’s just finely chopped mushrooms cooked with garlic, eschallots, butter, and herbs. It’s rich, savoury, and thick enough to spread (like in Mushroom Lasagna and Beef Wellington) or for stuffing things, like today’s lamb.

This version of duxelle has a herby, nutty flavour that’s downright addictive. When JB first made it, I couldn’t stop sneaking bites from the pan! You really taste the nuts, and the lemon zest tops it off perfectly. Here’s what you need:

Mushrooms – I use regular white button mushrooms but swiss/cremini mushrooms would also be great.
Eschalots – Called “shallots” in the US. They look like small onions with purple flesh and have a finer, sweeter flavour. Used for a more delicate onion taste. Not to be confused with the long green onions some Australians call “shallots.” Substitute with a small, finely chopped brown onion.
Garlic – Finely minced with a knife or use a garlic crusher.
Baby spinach – Diverging from classic French duxelle, this adds a little green colour to the filling, rather than being very, very brown. 🙂 It also makes the filling a little juicier.
Hazelnuts – The key nut flavour in the stuffing. Use blanched (skinless) ones, as the skin is bitter. If needed, remove skins using the roast-and-rub method (see FAQ below). Best substitutes: macadamias or almonds.
Pistachios – Slightly more subtle in flavour but (somehow!) makes the stuffing even more special. You know I call pistachios the fancy nut! Best substitute: Pinenuts.
Parsley – Fresh herby flavour. But it’s ok, you can omit without drastically altering the flavour.
Rosemary – Lamb and rosemary are best friends, so I really hope you don’t skip this! Though having said that, you can substitute with fresh thyme, or dried rosemary if necessary.
Lemon zest – This adds such a lovely finishing touch to the filling, I really urge you not to skip it!
Unsalted butter – The fat for sautéing the filling.
Salt and pepper – For seasoning.

3. For the gravy

A little secret trick for gravy I use regularly – add a teeny splash of dark soy sauce to make it a rich, deep brown colour. Skip the store bought gravy browner! Plus, it will add a smidge of extra depth of flavour in a way salt never will.

Lamb drippings – The fat left in the pan after roasting, packed with flavour. It’s the base for every great gravy!
Beef stock – Makes a tastier gravy than using water. I choose beef over chicken when cooking lamb, as its stronger flavour stands up better to the rich flavour of lamb. Use low sodium, or reduce the salt on the lamb by 1/4 teaspoon.
Flour – Thickens the gravy.
Dark soy sauce – Trick I regularly deploy when needed! Deepens the colour and adds savouriness. It won’t make the gravy taste Asian! Use only dark soy, not light or all-purpose.

How to make Easter slow-roast stuffed lamb

If you’re a meat rolling / tying first timer, it might take you a bit of time to assemble this. But don’t be intimidated. We’ve designed this recipe to be as easy as possible, incorporating handy tips like freezing the stuffing into a firm log makes the rolling part much easier than regular recipes.

And also, it does not matter if your lamb comes out a little rustic, if it’s wonky or there is filling burstage. Once sliced and plated, no one will notice – but the flavour will be there!

1. STUFFING FIRST

Make the stuffing first, at least 3 hours ahead or the day before, as we will pop it in the freezer to solidify.

Roast the hazelnuts for 8 minutes. Don’t skip this step! It really brings out the flavour of the hazelnuts.
Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mushrooms are chopped into little 3mm/0.1″ pieces. I pulse 5 or 6 times, that usually does the job.

Cook stuffing – Cook the eschalots, garlic and mushrooms on high heat for 5 minutes or until the water that comes out of the mushrooms evaporates. Then stir in the spinach until wilted.
Cool the filling for 20 minutes then stir in the nuts, lemon, salt and pepper.

Log – Shape the filling into a 35cm / 13.5″ long log on a piece of cling wrap, then roll it up tightly in the cling wrap and secure the ends.

TIP: Wipe your work bench with a wet cloth then put the cling wrap on it. It makes it stick to the surface so it’s easier to worth with.
Freeze until firm – Place the log in the freezer for 3+ hours until it’s firm (handy to make it the day before). This makes it much easier to roll up tightly in the lamb and looks neater when sliced. If you don’t freeze, besides being a lot harder to roll up the lamb, the filling ends up in a much more irregular shape inside, and unevenly dispersed.

2. POUND AND ROLL

Bash hard! It’s satisfying. (Also necessary. 😀)

Pound lamb – Place the lamb shoulder fat-side down on a cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap (I use Go-between) or baking paper. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to pound the meat (hard!) into a 40 x 22cm rectangle (15.5 x 8.5″).

Aim for even thickness ~1.75cm (2/3″). Trim and patch as needed to make your rectangle – see video and the image below for how I do this. The meat won’t stick together while raw, even if you pound it. But when you tie the lamb roll, it holds it together.

Roll – Put frozen stuffing log on the lamb then roll it up tightly finishing with the seam side down.

Tie – Secure with kitchen twine tied every 2cm / 0.8″. For the easy method, cut lots of short lengths and do individual ties for each section (left photo below). Or, go pro and try the butcher’s knot method ie continuous trussing! (Right photo below) This is where a single long piece of string is looped and tied down the length of the lamb. If I can do it, you can too! See separate video under the recipe video.
Secure ends – After tying down the length of the lamb, tie a big loop lengthways down the lamb to close off the ends and keep the filling in, like pictured above.

Remember: don’t fret too much about perfection! And if tying the lamb gets too hard or you really can’t find kitchen twine, you can always secure it with toothpicks.

3. slow-roasting

The lamb is slow cooked for 3 hours in total – 30 minutes at a high temperature to get the colour going and render some fat, then 2 ½ hours at a lower temperature to make the meat tender.

Prepare – Toss the potatoes in oil, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Don’t use a baking tray because the drippings from the lamb will likely dry out and the lamb may overcook on the ends more than ideal.

Rub the lamb with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then put it on top of the potatoes.
High then low slow-roast – Roast the lamb for 30 minutes at 220°C/425°F (200°C fan-forced). This gets some nice colour on the lamb and gives the fat rendering a head start.

Then turn the oven down to 160°C/320°F (140°C fan). Cook for 2 1/2 hours.

Cooked lamb – The lamb is done when the internal temperature is 98°C/208°F or the meat can be fairly easily teased apart using two fork (check in a discreet spot).

Goal – The meat should be fairly fork tender but not “fall-apart-at-a-touch”, like when making really tender slow roasted meats like lamb shanks and beef short ribs. We are making a carve-able roast here, but the meat is fork-cuttable rather than knife and fork like regular roast lamb.

Tip: Lamb shoulder is a forgiving cut that doesn’t dry out easily like many other meats do, so you don’t need to be exactly accurate with the cook time.
Rest – Remove lamb and potato to a tray and loosely cover with foil while you make the gravy.

4. GRAVY AND SERVING

Tasty gravies are made using pan drippings. This is made using pan drippings! 🙂

Gravy roux – The roasting pan will have meat juices and fat. Tilt the pan so you can scoop off and discard all but 3 tablespoons of fat. Make sure you keep the dark brown juices in the pan, only discard excess fat which is clear. If you’re short of fat, add butter.

Then put the pan directly on the stove over medium heat to heat the fat up. Once hot, sprinkle the flour across the surface and stir for 1 minute, to cook out the floury flavour.
Thicken gravy – While stirring, slowly pour in the stock. Add soy sauce, then keep stirring as it bubbles gently until it thickens into a maple syrup consistency (aim for slightly thinner than you want as it will thicken as it cools). Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired (I don’t). Use a whisk to whisk out lumps if you can (the liquid is too shallow in my pan to whisk) or just strain when you pour into a jug (this is what I do).

Slice – Cut the string off the lamb then slice into 2cm / 0.8″ thick slices, holding the sides together as needed to keep the lamb together.
Plate up – Place the lamb slices on a platter and surround with the potatoes, place the jug of gravy on the side. I like to sprinkle with chopped pistachios and add a sprig of rosemary as garnishes. In the video, I also added a side of sautéed green beans.

Now, for the best part – take to the table with flourish and bask in the praise!

Practical matters – make ahead excellence!

If I haven’t convinced you yet, here’s the clincher: this roast can be made ahead and reheats beautifully. 95% like freshly cooked – and I just use the microwave!

It’s a lifesaver for special occasions when you’re juggling multiple dishes. Having a show-stopping main that reheats this well is a total win.

Yes, it takes a more effort than a weeknight dinner, but it’s truly special – like something you’d splurge on at a fancy bistro.

Love to know what you think! And – happy Easter everyone! – Nagi x

Easter stuffed lamb FAQ

Watch how to make it

And here’s the supplementary video for how to truss this lamb using the butcher’s knot method ie continuous trussing. Remember, if it gets too hard, just tie individual knots for each section rather than trying to use one long string. It’s still going to taste just as good!