Recipes

Lamb Stuffed with Feta Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Kalamata Olives, and Served with Roasted Vegetables

Jean Alberti

Wild & Bare Co, Online Artisan Tea Store

This recipe comes from Jean Alberti of Kokkari and Evvia in San Francisco.

Ingredients

Roasted Vegetables:
  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 4 small turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 1 cup Brussels sprouts, cut in half
  • 12 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into
  • 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lamb:
  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds top round of lamb or lamb loin
  • 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, cut into julienne
  • 1 ounce pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1/4 pound feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place all the vegetables and the thyme in a roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and salt and pepper and toss well, making sure the vegetables are coated with oil. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized.

After you’ve put the vegetables in the oven, start on the lamb. Insert a knife into the lamb lengthwise, creating a cavity that runs through the center. It may be necessary to use your fingers to enlarge the cavity slightly. Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and olive oil, crumbling the cheese to make a paste. Fill the cavity with the feta cheese mixture and tie the lamb with butcher’s string to hold in the filling. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over high heat and sear the lamb until well browned. Place the lamb in the oven, along with the vegetables, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135ºF. Serve the lamb with the roasted vegetables. If some of the filling falls out during roasting or cutting, just spoon it on top of the lamb.

Yield

4 servings