LEG OF LAMB WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH STUFFING   E. Lagasse

 

1 4 - 5 pound boneless leg of lamb, well trimmed

1/4 cup Creole seasoning

3 TBSP. olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onions

2 TBSP. minced garlic

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

4 oz. mild goat cheese (about ½ cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut 7 2-foot lengths of butcher’s twine 

Cut open leg of lamb and arrange on work surface, inside facing up.  Butterfly meat by making small incisions in the thicker parts of the meat without cutting all the way through.^[1]  Flatten meat and trim off extra pieces, reserving them, until leg is fairly even thickness; you should have about 1 pound of this trim meat.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap over lamb and pound meat with a meat mallet of 2 X 4 inch piece of wood until 1/4 inch thick.  Remove plastic wrap and use a sharp knife to poke halfway into meat, taking care not to cut all the way through.  Sprinkle 2 TBSP. of Creole seasoning over top of lamb and set aside. 

Dice reserved ½ pound meat into ½ inch pieces.  In a large skillet heat 2 TBSP. of the oil over medium high heat.  Add diced lamb and 1 TBSP. of the Creole seasoning and brown three minutes.  Add onions, garlic and 4 turns of black pepper; sauté, stirring constantly, 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add spinach and mint.  Transfer to a bowl to cool.