| 1 | 24 hours beforehand, make the stuffing. |
| 2 | Chop the apricot coarsely, mix with breadcrumbs and chopped onions. |
| 3 | Melt the butter, pour over, add honey, salt, pepper and thyme. |
| 4 | Mix well together, then mix in beaten egg. |
| 5 | Make marinade by mixing all the ingredients together. |
| 6 | Bone or have boned the lamb. |
| 7 | (tunnel bone for stuffing). |
| 8 | Stuff the cavity loosely. |
| 9 | Sew up the opening. |
| 10 | Put lamb in a polythene bag long enough to hold it comfortably. |
| 11 | Add bones. |
| 12 | Pour over the marinade, tie the top with a bag seal, sucking out excess air. |
| 13 | Stand in a bowl (to catch leaks). |
| 14 | Marinade overnight, turning from time to time. |
| 15 | Preheat oven to 350°F (mk 4). |
| 16 | Remove lamb from marinade and dry well. |
| 17 | Drain marinade and fry vegetables in roasting pan very briefly. |
| 18 | Place lamb on top and roast 25 mins/lb oven ready weight. |
| 19 | Baste frequently with marinade while cooking. |
| 20 | Meanwhile make a little lamb stock from bones. |
| 21 | When done, take out of oven, remove strings from joint and leave to rest 15 mins while making the gravy, then carve crosswise. |
| 22 | For the gravy, remove vegetables from roasting tin, pour off roasting juices, leaving 2 tbs fat in pan. |
| 23 | Fry 2 tbs flour in this, return aqueous part of roasting juices and remaining marinade. |
| 24 | Add lamb stock if needed. season to taste |
