"Stuffed lamb leg"

Lamb in Sicily is present in the folk cooking as well as in the baronial cooking and several are its preparation: baked, grilled, stewed, sweet-and-sour, with tomato sauce, “abbuttunatu” (“Buttoned” with broad bean or peas), “aggrassatu” (with potatoes) and in many other ways. The Italian word for lamb, “Agnello”, came after the Latin word “Agnus”, that is chaste and innocent: that’s why it was sacrificed to God. In Sicily people eat lamb on Easter, to renew the tradition. It is a recipe originated in the isle’s inland but today it’s popular everywhere. The best mutton is around the zone of Messina; very good the ones coming from the zones of Enna and Agrigento.

INGREDIENTS

For 4 servings:
1 lamb leg (about 1 Kg)
1 lamb liver
400 Gr fresh peas
2 Scallions (spring onions)
2 white onions
150 Gr bacon
100 Gr grated caciocavallo cheese
(a ground-shaped cheese from Southern Italy)
100 Gr bread crumbs
2 Eggs
Parsley
Extra-Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper.

Fry in an oiled pan the minced scallions and once browned, add the peas and let them brown for 5 minutes on a slow heat. Add 4 glasses of water and continue to cook on a slow heat, until they will be ready. In another pan let brown in a little oil, a minced onion with the chopped bacon and liver. Add a little more water, salt, pepper and cook for more 15 minutes, reducing the sauce. Let it cool down and add the bread crumb, the grated caciocavallo, the minced parsley, the peas and the beated eggs. Mix all very well, to obtain a well-blended mixture. Bone the lamb leg, stuff it with the prepared mixture and tie the meat with a string. In a pan let brown an onion, put the lamb leg in it and let it brown with a little oil. When it will be golden brown, salt, pepper and put the lid on it. Let it cook for 45 minutes, adding water from time to time. Serve the leg warm, with the meat juice.