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Wash baby spinach leaves, melt a knob of butter in a saucepan and add the spinach, cooking gently to evaporate most
of the moisture but still leaving some texture in the leaves. Drain, squeezing out more moisture and mix with some
toasted pine nuts, adding a pinch of sea salt, a good grinding of black pepper and a generous amount of freshly ground
nutmeg. Unroll the breast of lamb skin side down and spread the top with the spinach mixture. Roll up the breast again
and tie with some string. Slice an onion and spread out in a shallow casserole dish, place the lamb on top, drizzled
with olive oil, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast in a 200°C oven for 30 minutes. Remove
from the oven, turning the temperature down to 160°C. Now add whole cherry tomatoes, a stick of cinnamon, a pinch of
chilli flakes, a couple of Tbs balsamic vinegar, a couple of Tbs tomato paste and a small glass of water. Add a little
more seasoning, mix everything together, basting the lamb, cover with a lid or some kitchen foil and slow roast for
another 90 minutes. When cooked, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes or so, while you cook the gnocchi
according to the packet directions. Cut the lamb into thick slices. To serve, spoon some sauce onto hot plates,
add the sliced lamb and accompany with buttered and parsleyed gnocchi.
All images are © Chris Gibbins