Hunter's Leg of Lamb

If your supermarket doesn't regularly stock leg of lamb, order the cut a few days in advance and ask the butcher to butterfly it for you. Use a meat thermometer to determine doneness.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 (4 to 6-pound) leg of lamb, boned and butterflied
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 (6-ounce) package dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup water
1 (6-ounce) package long grain and wild rice mix
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

Cooking Directions:

1. Remove fell (paper-thin, pinkish-red layer), if present, from outer surface of lamb. Place lamb in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Stir together red wine and Worcestershire sauce; pour over lamb. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight, turning meat once.
2. Remove meat from dish, reserving marinade.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
4. Combine chopped apricot and water in a small saucepan. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes.
5. Prepare rice mix according to the package directions, adding chopped onion. Stir together cooked rice mixture, undrained apricot, basil, and lemon-pepper seasoning in a large bowl. Mix well.
6. Trim fat. Place meat, boned side up, between two pieces of plastic wrap pound meat with a meat mallet to an even thickness. Spread half of the rice mixture over roast. Roll up; tie securely with string.
7. Place roast, seam side down, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of meat. Roast in the preheated oven for 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 150°F (65°C). Baste lamb with reserved marinade several times during cooking. (Do not brush during the last 5 minutes.) Let stand 15 minutes before carving.
8. Meanwhile, place remaining rice mixture in a 1-quart casserole; cover. Bake alongside lamb during the last 25 to 30 minutes or meat¿s roasting and standing time. Remove the string.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/10 of recipe): calories: 270, total fat: 5g, saturated fat: 2g, cholesterol: 74mg, sodium: 489mg, carbohydrate: 27g, fiber: 2g, protein: 26g, iron: 21%.

Recipe and photograph provided by Better Homes and Gardens - BHG.com a member of the Home and Family Network for the best of cooking, gardening, decorating and more. © 2003 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.