Barbecued butterfly lamb with rosemary

Unlike roasting a leg of lamb, a leg which has been butterflied (the bone removed and either side of the leg spread out flat into a ‘butterfly’ shape) takes a lot less time to cook on the barbecue – around 40 to 50 minutes. It ends up lovely and tender and incredibly delicious. Great for a barbecue get together with friends and family and kids will enjoy it too!

Ingredients

• 2kg leg of lamb, butterflied
• a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp coarse sea salt

Method

Prepare the lamb – score the fatty side, and rub all over with the olive oil. Then take the sliced garlic, salt, and rosemary sprigs; and gently insert them into the scored areas, distributing evenly. Place the lamb in a large dish and leave it in the fridge to absorb the flavours for an hour or two.

Light the barbecue, ensuring that you have plenty of coals (if you don’t have enough it won’t be possible to maintain the heat long enough to cook the lamb). Once the coals have reached a high temperature (you should be able to hold your hand a couple of inches over the grill for no more than five seconds before it gets too hot) put the lamb fat side down and cook for about five minutes, until browned. Then turn the lamb and repeat on the other side.

Once both sides are nicely browned, spread the coals towards the sides of the barbecue and continue to cook the lamb in the centre over a lower heat for around 40 minutes, turning it from time to time. This will give slightly pink meat, so if you prefer your lamb slightly more done leave it on a few more minutes.

Remove the lamb from the barbecue and let it sit for around 10-15 minutes, covered with foil to retain the heat.

Slice and serve with a salad and buttered baby potatoes.

 

How to butterfly a leg of lamb:

Place the lamb on a chopping board, with the bulk of the meat towards the bottom. Locate the bone, then slice lengthways along the leg with a decent carving knife until the fat and meat has separated and you can see the bone the whole way down. Pull each side apart and cut around the bone, until you are able to lift the bone away from the meat. Open out the meat, cut away any excess fat, and trim to ensure an even thickness.