RECIPE: Greek butterflied leg of lamb
Grilled Greek-style butterflied leg of lamb is a great meal to serve at a summer dinner party.
Easy to prepare, it makes a fabulous entrance with local peas in season now with fresh mint and new potatoes. You can choose whatever herbs you have in the garden to marinate the lamb.
Oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and garlic are all abundant now locally, but we also need lemons to complete the flavours of Greece. I also love to make tzatziki and pita to serve that is great leftover to make lamb donairs.
Greek butterflied leg of lamb
2 kg boneless leg of lamb
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 kg boneless leg of lamb
2 lemons
You can ask your butcher to butterfly and trim the lamb for you but if you buy a boneless leg, it is easy to cut yourself. When you unwrap the lamb, lay it down on a board and trim off all of the fat. If it is not laying flat, just cut into the thickest part to open up. Make sure not to cut down too far as you want the lamb to stay in one piece. You can Google for instructions here. Don’t worry if some pieces are thicker than others, you will then have a variety to serve your guests.
Heat barbecue on high and sear lamb 7 minutes on each side. Turn heat down and move to indirect heat and continuing cooking for 25 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into thickest part of meat registers 145°F for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with lemon wedges and buttery fresh peas with chopped mint and new potatoes with sour cream and chives.
Tzatziki
2 cups yogurt
1 cup shredded peeled cucumber, squeezed dry
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt
Mix together in a bowl and serve with lamb.
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