Lamb Family friendly Main French

Barbecued butterflied leg of lamb with lemon, garlic and thyme

Name: butterflied leg of lamb recipe with lemon, garlic and thyme
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: /french
Ingredients: 2.5kg leg of lamb, butterflied (ask your butcher to do this); Lemon wedges, to serve; Steamed green beans, to serve; Potatoes cooked in goose fat (see recipe for pommes sarladaises), to serve; 2 large garlic cloves, chopped; 1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped; 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves; 6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked; 1 fresh bay leaf*; Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon; 1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil

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by Rick Stein

Chef, author, TV presenter

Sep 09, 2019

This easy barbecued butterflied leg of lamb recipe is perfect for summer entertaining

2.5kg leg of lamb, butterflied (ask your butcher to do this)
Lemon wedges, to serve
Steamed green beans, to serve
Potatoes cooked in goose fat (see recipe for pommes sarladaises), to serve

Marinade

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 fresh bay leaf*
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil

Method

1.

Combine all the marinade ingredients with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper in a shallow roasting pan. Add the butterflied leg of lamb and turn to coat well. Turn the lamb skin-side up, cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
2.

If using a charcoal barbecue, light it about 40 minutes before you want to start cooking. If using a gas barbecue, light it about 10 minutes before you start cooking. A leg of lamb has a good deal of fat, so be careful to avoid too many flare-ups when barbecuing, which could cause the meat to burn.
3.

Cook lamb on the hot barbecue grill for 10-12 minutes on each side, turning and moving frequently. Alternatively, barbecue the lamb for 5-7 minutes on each side until well coloured, then transfer to a roasting pan and roast for 20-25 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C.
4.

Transfer the lamb to a board, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Slice the lamb thickly and serve with lemon wedges, steamed green beans, potatoes and some of the meat juices.