Description
Citrus zest is used to flavour olive oil which is then drizzled over a whole leg of lamb. The lamb is barbecued and served with onion and rosemary skewers- a tasty alternative to traditional roast leg of lamb.
Ingredients
2-2.5kg/4½-5½lb leg of lamb
12x25cm/10in stalks of woody rosemary
3 fat garlic cloves (optional)
6-8 very small garlic cloves (optional)
4 tbsp medium dry sherry
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the citrus oil:
1 lemon
1 small orange
1 large lime
290ml/10fl oz olive oil
½ tsp black peppercorns
For the onion and rosemary skewers:
18 small onions
icing sugar, for dusting
Method
1. For the citrus oil: thinly pare the zest off the lemon, orange and lime and place it into a small pan with the oil and the peppercorns. Leave over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes and then remove, pour into a sterilised heatproof glass bottle and leave to cool completely. Seal and leave for 24 hours.
2. To bone the leg of lamb, find the place where the long bone running down the length of the leg appears to run quite close to the surface. Split open the meat along that bone and carefully peel it back from either side. At the fatter end of the leg there is a small group of smaller bones. Continue to cut the meat away from these bones until you have completely opened up the leg and can lift them out.
3. You should now have a piece of meat shaped like butterfly wings, hence the name. Trim off any excess fat and neaten it up into a piece of meat about 4-5cm/1½-2in thick all over.
4. Break the leaves off two of the stalks of rosemary in small clusters and strip the remaining pieces clean for the onion skewers. Leave the woody stalks to soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Cut the garlic into long thin slivers.
5. Make small, deep incisions all over both sides of the lamb and push in the sprigs of rosemary, slivers of garlic and small garlic cloves, if using.
6. Drizzle over the sherry, some of the oil and season well with salt and pepper. Barbecue over medium hot coals for about 40 minutes for medium rare lamb, turning occasionally.
7. Meanwhile, cut the onions in half and thread 3 halves on to each rosemary stalk. Brush them with some citrus oil and place them on to the barbecue alongside the lamb. Dust with the icing sugar and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.
8. Lift the lamb on to a board, cover with a sheet of foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes while the onion skewers finish cooking. Then carve it into thin slices and serve with the onion skewers.
