Incredibly Easy Stuffed Leg of Lamb

This was the easiest dinner I've made in ages. I picked up the following from my local Gelson's:

• 1 4-pound butterflied boneless leg of lamb with most fat trimmed
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• 1 jar Kalamata olive tapenade
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• 1 jar minced garlic
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• Italian seasoning
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• salt
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• pepper
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• olive oil

I rolled the leg out on my work surface, trimming fat and tendons, and making small cuts where necessary to further flatten the meat. I covered the meat with plastic wrap and whacked with the flat side of a meat tenderizer to further flatten it. Then I liberally seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, rubbed the seasonings into the meat briefly, and then (again, liberally) smeared the meat with tapenade and garlic. I sprinkled the stuffing with dried Italian herbs. I didn't measure any of the stuffing ingredients; instead, I just eyeballed it to cover the whole slab of meat. I then rolled the meat up lengthwise into a log, tying it with kitchen twine. I poured olive oil over the meat, seasoned the outside with salt and pepper, and rubbed it in.

Meanwhile, the oven had been preheated to 450 degrees. The lamb went onto a roasting rack set in a roasting pan and then into the oven. I turned the oven down to 350 and roasted the lamb for 80 minutes for medium-rare. After removing the lamb from the oven, I transferred it to a cutting board, tented it with foil, and allowed it to rest 30 minutes before carving.

While the lamb was resting, I popped one package of Alessi mushroom risotto, 2-½ cups cold water, and 1 tablespoon butter into my Cusinart rice cooker. 20 minutes later, I sliced the lamb and served it with the risotto. Because I had had the foresight to use a cutting board with a juice trough on the permieter, I could pour jus over all right before serving.

The lamb was incredibly moist and interestingly flavored from the stuffing. I really recommend trying this one.