You can use a whole leg for this or a butterflied boneless leg—usually, you can buy boneless leg of lamb in the supermarket. You can grill or broil it (or, for that matter, roast in a hot oven); there are differences in timing and in flavor, but all the results are excellent, and it’s a dish you can use at any time of year. You can also make it more simply: rub a leg of lamb with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme or rosemary. But I like it best as it is done in Provence, with a variety of herbs, along with some garlic. If you’re cooking this inside, serve it with Potatoes with Bay Leaves (page 481) or another roasted potato dish and a simple steamed vegetable. Outside, I’d grill some vegetables and perhaps some Crostini (page 41). One more comment: this is also great with boneless lamb shoulder, but because that is higher in fat, you must grill over lower heat, and carefully, to prevent burning.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 or more servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Start a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the broiler; the fire should be quite hot and the rack at least 4 inches from the heat source. Trim the lamb of any excess fat and, if any parts seem overly thick, make a horizontal cut in the meat so they lie fairly flat.
Step 2
Combine the oil, garlic, fennel seeds, and herbs with some salt and pepper. Use a thin-bladed knife to poke some holes in the lamb and stick a little bit of the mixture into each of them; rub the meat with that which remains.
Step 3
Grill or broil the meat until it is nicely browned, even a little charred, on both sides, 20 to 30 minutes, and the internal temperature at the thickest part is about 125°F; this will give you some lamb that is quite rare as well as some that is nearly well done. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly, as you would a thick steak. Garnish the lamb with lavender or rosemary and serve with lemon wedges.
Grilled or Roast Lamb with Cilantro Salsa (Argentina)
Step 4
Make Cilantro Salsa (page 616). In step 2, use Cilantro Salsa in place of the herb mixture; don’t bother to put any in the meat, just on it.
