grilled butterflied leg of lamb with garlic and curry spices
Butterflied leg of lamb is perfect for low-key entertaining because some sections of the meat cook to medium rare, others
medium, and still others medium well—so everyone’s taste is sure to be satisfied. Because the meat is relatively thin, butterflied
lamb cooks much faster than a traditional leg. Serves 8 to 107 cloves garlic
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. coriander seeds,
cracked or coarsely ground
1½ Tbs. sweet curry powder
2 Tbs. finely chopped
fresh ginger
1 cup dry sherry
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. freshly cracked
black pepper
1 boneless butterflied leg of
lamb, 3 to 5 lb., trimmed of
excess fat, rinsed, and
patted dry
6 sprigs fresh cilantro,
roughly chopped
Finely chop the garlic, sprinkle the
salt over it, and mash with the flat
side of the knife to make a paste.
Put the cracked coriander and
curry powder in a cold, dry sauté
pan and set it over medium-low
heat. Shake the pan a few times
while the spices toast until they
have a strong nutty smell, 1 to
3 minutes. Don’t let them burn.
In a small bowl, mix the
garlic paste, toasted spices,
ginger, sherry, olive oil, honey,
and pepper until the mixture
resembles a somewhat thin,
grainy soup.
If you like, separate the
lamb along its natural seams
into smaller, easier-to-handlepieces. Put the lamb in a shallow
nonreactive baking dish and pour
the marinade over the meat.
Cover with plastic wrap, set aside,
and let the flavors penetrate
the meat for 2 hours at room
temperature (or up to 24 hours in
the refrigerator). Turn the meat
twice during the marinating time.
Prepare a medium-hot
charcoal fire or gas grill. Grill the
lamb ( covered if using a gas grill,
un covered if using charcoal) on
one side until nicely charred,
about 10 minutes. Turn the
meat over and continue grilling
(again, covered if using a gas grill,
uncovered if using charcoal) until
an instant-read thermometerinserted into a thick section
of the meat registers 130°F to
135°F for medium rare, 7 to
12 minutes, depending on what
type of grill you use. (If you like
your lamb cooked to medium,
continue grilling until the meat’s
temperature reaches 140°F to
145°F; for medium well, 150°F
to 155°F.) Transfer the lamb to
a tray or carving board and let it
rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Carve
the lamb across the grain into
¼-inch slices. Arrange the slices
on a platter, drizzle with the juices
that accumulated during resting,
and sprinkle with the cilantro
before serving.FINECOOKING.COM 41