This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Have we dusted off our barbecues? Don’t you love the summer when the men take command of the cooking? I do as I can do the preparation early in the morning and then sit in the sun sipping a glass of Rosé! This recipe, Butterflied Lamb with preserved Lemon Olive Anchovy Chilli & Mint Drizzle from Jane Lovett, is so delicious and is now my go-to-lamb-on-barbecue-recipe! For more Jane Lovett recipes click HERE.
INGREDIENTS: serves 8 – 12 depending on the size of leg
Marinade:
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ground black pepper
Drizzle:
- 30g pitted green olives, thinly sliced
- 30g pitted black olives, thinly sliced
- 8 anchovies, chopped
- 2 red chillies, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 lge or 2 small preserved lemons, quartered. pips removed and chopped
- 2 tbsp liquid from preserved lemon jar
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- a good handful of chopped parsley
- a good handful of chopped mint
How to prepare:
The day before, open out the leg of lamb, slashing and spreading out any thicker areas to make it roughly of an even thickness. Place it skin side down into the smallest mixing bowl into which it will fit. Scatter over all the marinade ingredients, fold the wings of lamb back over into the middle to encase the marinade, cover and leave to marinated overnight (not in the fridge), turning over occasionally.
To make the drizzle, stir all the ingredients, except for the parsley and mint, together. Set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 240℃. Lift the lamb out of the bowl, draining off the mrainade and bits, and place flat, skin side up in a lightly greased shallow roasting tin. Rub plenty of salt into the skin and roast at the top of the oven for 30 minutes or on the barbecue. The lamb should be pink all the way through. Immediately transfer to a cold plate or board and leave somewhere warm to rest for at least 30 minutes – much longer is fine. Skim the fat from the tin juices and keep them warm, or set aside.
To serve, slice the lamb into very thin slices and arrange slightly overlapping over a large platter. Spoon over any juices from the rested meat as well as the skimmed roasting tin juices (re-heated if necessary). Stir the herbs into the drizzle and spoon over the lamb, distributing as evenly as possible. Eat warm.
HINTS & TIPS:
Lamb cooking times: (NB: These are for boned weights and assume the oven or BBQ is very hot). 2.7kg x 30 minutes – feeds 12. 2.3kg x 20 – 25 minutes – feeds 10 plus. 1.8kg x 20 minutes – feeds 8 plus. Anything less x 20 minutes. 1.6kg feeds 8.
Accompaniment Ideas: Potatoes – hasselback, new baby roasted, smashed new, potato salad. Vegetables – French beans, warm, or in a salad with other vegetables, chiolli roasted tenderstem broccoli, roasted or griddled aubergine or courgettes. Salads – rocket with toasted walnuts or pine nuts, tomato salad (with or without cucimber & spring onions), mixed leaf salad.
Scatter with rocket, cress, micro leaves or caper berries before serving, if you like.
For more mouth watering recipes click HERE.