Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb With Herbs
Published June 27, 1989
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus at least 1 hour's refrigeration
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 8-pound leg of lamb, boned, butterflied and well-trimmed of fat, inside and out
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried
2 bay leaves, crumbled
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
3 grams carbs; 316 milligrams cholesterol; 1057 calories; 33 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams saturated fat; 76 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 1175 milligrams sodium; 85 grams protein
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Lay the lamb out flat and sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Step 2
Put the oil in a baking dish large enough to hold the lamb. Add the lamb and sprinkle on both sides with mustard seed, cumin, garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, rosemary, bay leaves and lemon juice. Turn and rub the lamb so it is evenly coated with the ingredients. Marinate in a cool place for one or two hours, or up to six hours in a refrigerator. If refrigerated, let the lamb return to room temperature before cooking.
- Step 3
Preheat a charcoal grill or the oven broiler.
- Step 4
Remove lamb from marinade and reserve marinade. If a grill is used, put the lamb flat on the grill. If the broiler is used, place the lamb under the broiler 4 to 5 inches from the heat. Cook the lamb uncovered on the grill or under the broiler about 15 minutes. Turn and cook 10 to 15 minutes on the second side. For medium or well-done meat, cook longer.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade to a boil in a baking pan large enough to hold the lamb, stirring. Remove from heat, and swirl in butter and parsley. Transfer the lamb to the marinade pan, cover loosely with foil and keep warm. Let the meat rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Slice thinly and serve with the pan gravy.
Private Notes
Comments
I love leg of lamb. This recipe allows you to prepare an excellent leg of lamb with a very short cooking time. I grilled it on my Big Green Egg covered. I agree with a previous post that the use of the term marinade is misleading. There are not enough ingredients to make a true marinade. I added the juice of an additional lemon to the "marinade" that I brought to a boil on the stove as directed. Next time--I'll add additional olive oil and juice of 1/2 lemon.
With a local leg of lamb and fresh herbs, just wonderful. 4.4 lb. butterflied weight could have fed 8.
Excellent, flavorful and fragrant dish, easy to prepare. I cooked on a charcoal grill and got good "crust". But what "marinade"? 1/4 cup oil and 4 Tbsps lemon juice isn't enough liquid to constitute a "marinade". I even checked on TimesMachine for the original recipe to see if an extra liquid ingredient was missing. So I just prepared without Step 5.
Just a question - how hot was your grill? I like rare meat...it's easy to overcook.
Great barbecue recipe; like the comments below, when you boil up the marinade there is not a lot of liquid. I added more oil & lemon for step 5. Also - depending on how the lamb is butterflied, you can be left with different thicknesses making even grilling challenging. We roasted the thickest part the second night, as it was too rare, while the rest of the lamb was perfectly cooked. Very easy recipe; the grilling brings out the best in the fabulous flavor of the marinade.
Followed the recipe, and grilled the lamb on the bbq. Turned it at 10 minutes and grilled 10 more minutes. The thicker parts were 140degrees, but after sitting, the temp rose rapidly. I would grill it next time 8 minutes/side, and take off when thicker parts are 135 degrees, and let it sit. Otherwise, delicious.