If you’re looking for an elegant dinner centerpiece that balances earthy flavors with a rich and velvety sauce, this Lamb Roulade with Tawny Port Jus is the recipe for you. Perfect for holidays, dinner parties, or when you want to impress guests, this dish highlights tender lamb wrapped around a flavorful mushroom duxelle filling and finished with a glossy tawny port wine jus.
In This Post
Heather’s Notes
- A show-stopping entrée that looks and tastes gourmet but can be made at home with a little patience.
- The mushroom duxelle adds depth and earthiness that pairs beautifully with lamb.
- Tawny port jus creates a silky, restaurant-worthy sauce with a hint of sweetness.
- Ideal for holidays, special occasions, or date night dinners.
- Can be prepped ahead of time and finished right before serving.
Ingredients
For the Mushroom Duxelle Filling
- White mushrooms – adds earthy, umami flavor.
- Olive oil – for sautéing and carrying flavor.
- Minced shallot – brings mild sweetness and aromatic depth.
- Garlic – enhances the savory profile.
- Fresh rosemary – complements lamb beautifully.
- Butter – adds richness and helps the mixture caramelize.
For the Tawny Port Jus
- Unsalted butter – one for sautéing, one for finishing.
- Minced shallots – sweet and aromatic base for the sauce.
- Fresh rosemary – infuses subtle herbal notes.
- Tawny port wine – provides sweetness and complexity.
- Beef stock or broth – balances the port and creates body in the jus.
For the Lamb Roulade
- 2-pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied – tender, flavorful centerpiece protein.
- Salt and pepper (to taste) – essential for seasoning.
- Olive oil – helps achieve a golden sear before roasting.
Substitutions & Variations
- Mushrooms – Try cremini or wild mushrooms for deeper flavor.
- Herbs – Replace rosemary with thyme or sage for a different herbal note.
- Wine – If tawny port isn’t available, ruby port or even a dry red wine can be used, though the flavor will be less sweet and nutty.
- Lamb – If lamb isn’t your preference, pork loin or beef tenderloin can be adapted for a similar roulade preparation.
- Filling – Add sautéed spinach or a sprinkle of Parmesan to the duxelle for an extra layer of flavor.
How to Make Lamb Roulade
- Prepare the Mushroom Duxelle
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, sautéing until fragrant.
- Add chopped mushrooms and rosemary, cooking until the mushrooms release their liquid and the mixture becomes golden and dry.
- Stir in butter, season with salt and pepper, then set aside to cool.
- Butterfly and Fill the Lamb
- Lay the butterflied lamb flat on a cutting board. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Spread the cooled mushroom duxelle evenly over the surface.
- Roll the lamb tightly into a roulade and secure with kitchen twine.
- Sear and Roast the Lamb
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet and sear the roulade on all sides until golden brown.
- Transfer skillet to oven and roast for about 30–40 minutes, or until lamb reaches desired doneness (135°F for medium-rare).
- Rest the roulade for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Make the Tawny Port Jus
- In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter and sauté shallots with rosemary until softened.
- Add tawny port and reduce by half. Stir in beef stock and reduce again until thickened.
- Whisk in the final tablespoon of butter for a glossy finish. Strain if desired.
- Serve
- Slice the lamb roulade into medallions and spoon tawny port jus over the top before serving.
Tips for Storing
- Store leftover lamb in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently in the oven covered with foil to prevent drying.
- Freeze in portions for up to 2 months.
- Store sauce separately in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
FAQs
Yes, you can prepare the roulade up to the point of roasting and refrigerate it for 24 hours. Allow it to come to room temperature before cooking.
Use a meat thermometer. For medium-rare, aim for 135°F internal temperature before resting.
It pairs beautifully with roasted root vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes, or a fresh green salad.
Yes, tightly wrap slices in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat gently to retain moisture.
Tawny port is sweeter than dry wines but has nutty, caramel-like undertones that balance savory dishes.
More Recipes We Love
- Chocolate Port Wine Cake
- Lamb and Root Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
- Maple Brown Sugar Breakfast Sausage
- Beef Roulade with Morels
- Surf & Turf Sliders
Lamb Roulade with Tawny Port Jus Recipe
Ingredients
Duxelles
- 1 lb button mushrooms, cleaned & small diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ⅓ cup minced shallot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Tawny Port Jus
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup minced shallots
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- 750 ml Tawny Port
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Lamb Roulade
- 2 pounds leg of lamb, boneless, butterflied
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Duxelles
- In a large saute pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute until the liquid has evaporated and the pan becomes dry, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, rosemary and butter and stir until butter is melted. Remove from the pan to a bowl and cool completely.
Tawny Port Jus
- In the same large saute, add 1 tablespoon butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and saute until they become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the bottle of wine & rosemary and turn the heat to high. Boil until the wine has reduced by half. Add the beef stock and continue to boil until the mixture has reduced by half (about 2 cups total remaining).
- Strain the liquid through a fine meshed sieve into a clean small saucepan. Return to medium heat and add the butter and stir until melted. Turn to low to keep warm.
Roulade
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the butterflied lamb between 2 pieces of heavy parchment paper or plastic wrap. Pound until it's about 3/4 inches thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with the duxelles. Roll from the wide end into a roll. Tie with kitchen twine to secure.
- Using the same large saute (or an ovenproof large frying pan) heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the roulade and brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side.
- Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut into slices and drizzle with the Port Jus and serve.
Save this Recipe!
Easily save this recipe to your own recipe collection box and come back to it anytime you want!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Did you try this recipe?
Please Leave a Review & Star Rating!A few weeks ago I received an email asking me if I would like to participate in a recipe contest for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival with the winner receiving an all access pass to the festival in March. I, of course, said yes, because I love a good challenge (and I love South Carolina).
The contest is called Lambs & Clams and each participant receives one or the other over the coarse of 4 months, or as I just found out, both for the last challenge. A couple of weeks go by and a giant box appears on my doorstep. Inside…a leg of lamb from Border Springs Farm. A gorgeous leg of lamb that was almost too amazing to eat. Next up, figure out what to do with it. Because of the size of the leg, I decided to break it down to make 2 different meals. We had it roasted with fresh horseradish & roasted garlic and it was incredible. But wait, there’s more. Tonight, we had the roulade pictured above and it was….unbelievable. Like, lick the plate, unbelievable…and it was not hard to make at all and took less than an hour from start to devouring.
I hope you enjoy following along this contest with me. There will be voting on Charleston Wine + Food Facebook page, so I encourage you to go vote for your faves (hopefully that’s me). Let’s go make some deliciousness.
Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
I really love this recipe and hope you will too!