Greek Butterflied Lamb Leg Food

GREEK BUTTERFLIED LAMB LEG

Steps:

• Mix marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag.
• Add lamb, massage bag well to get the marinade into all the meat cracks and crevices.
• Seal bag and marinate for 24 hours (3 hours minimum).
• Remove lamb from the fridge 1 hour prior to cooking (to take fridge chill out for more even cooking).

ROAST LEG OF LAMB, GREEK STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Under running water, trim the outer layer of fat from the lamb and blot dry. Allow the lamb to reach room temperature and squeeze the juice from the lemons over the lamb. Slice cloves of garlic, lengthwise.
• Put salt and pepper into a small container. Cut 6 small slots into each side of the leg of lamb, about 1-inch deep. Insert garlic slivers, followed by salt and pepper, into the lamb. Lightly sprinkle top of lamb with oregano. Pour the water into a roasting pan, add lamb, and cover with foil. Roast on lowest rack of oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove foil, lower heat to 375 degrees and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until lamb reaches desired temperature. Remove and let lamb stand about 30 minutes as the lamb continues to cook. To test the temperature of the meat, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the leg without touching the bone. For rare lamb, the thermometer should register 140 degrees. For medium, the thermometer should register 145 degrees.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB, GREEK STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Under running water, trim the outer layer of fat from the lamb and blot dry. Allow the lamb to reach room temperature and squeeze the juice from the lemons over the lamb. Slice cloves of garlic, lengthwise.
• Put salt and pepper into a small container. Cut 6 small slots into each side of the leg of lamb, about 1-inch deep. Insert garlic slivers, followed by salt and pepper, into the lamb. Lightly sprinkle top of lamb with oregano. Pour the water into a roasting pan, add lamb, and cover with foil. Roast on lowest rack of oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove foil, lower heat to 375 degrees and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until lamb reaches desired temperature. Remove and let lamb stand about 30 minutes as the lamb continues to cook.
• To test the temperature of the meat, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the leg without touching the bone. For rare lamb, the thermometer should register 140 degrees. For medium, the thermometer should register 145 degrees.

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB - WITH ATTITUDE!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 (or prepare grill if you prefer). Lay out butterflied leg of lamb - fat side down - on a pan with a rack.
• Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and lightly coat both sides of the meat. Bake on center rack of oven for 50 minutes for rare, 1 hour for medium, or to your preference. Medium rare to medium for best taste.

BARBECUED GREEK LAMB WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Mash the garlic to a paste with a pestle and mortar. Mix with the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and bay, and season with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Place the lamb in a large porcelain dish. Pour the marinade over the lamb and massage into the meat. Leave the lamb for at least 1 hr at room temperature, or longer in the fridge, but no longer than overnight or the meat will become too soft.
• To cook the lamb, fire up the barbecue, or heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To cook on the barbecue, wait for the coals to turn ashen, then lay the lamb on the grill and cook for 15 mins on each side for meat that is pink, or 20 mins on each side for well done. To cook in the oven, place the lamb in a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins for pink or 40 mins for well done, turning the lamb halfway through. Leave the meat to rest for 10 mins before carving.
• Meanwhile, make the tzatziki. Coarsely grate the cucumber, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and squeeze out all the liquid. Tip into a bowl with the yogurt, garlic and mint, and mix well. Carve the lamb into thick slices and serve with the tzatziki wrapped up in warm flatbreads.

GRILLED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, vinegar, rosemary, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place lamb in a large shallow dish with marinade, and turn to coat. Cover; marinate 1 hour at room temperature or up to overnight in refrigerator, turning occasionally. (Bring to room temperature before grilling.)
• Heat grill to medium-high. Thread several metal skewers through lamb in both directions to hold meat together during cooking.
• Grill lamb until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 140 degrees for medium rare, 10 to 15 minutes per side. Let the meat rest, covered, about 10 minutes. Remove the skewers. Slice the meat thinly, against the grain where possible.

GRILLED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Lamb:.
• Remove all but 1/4 inch of fat from surface of lamb.
• Combine the vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large non-metal pan large enough to accommodate the meat spread flat.( I like to use a large zip-lock bag).
• Put the lamb in the marinade, turn over once, cover with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil, and refrigerate at least 24 hours before cooking, turning occasionally.
• Remove from the refrigerator and let lamb come to room temperature before broiling.
• Preheat broiler 15 to 20 minutes, with broiler rack in place, about 4 inches below the source of heat.
• Remove lamb from marinade, drain and place on hot broiler rack, fat side down.
• Broil 15 minutes, turn and broil 15 to 20 minutes longer for medium-rare lamb.
• Test with a knife in the thickest part, and if not done sufficiently, broil for a few minutes longer.
• The lamb should be charred in places; however, watch carefully so it does not catch on fire.
• To serve, carve across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices, and arrange overlapping on a hot serving platter.
• Spoon a little warm avgolemono sauce over middle of sliced lamb and pass the remainder.
• For the Avgolemono Sauce:.
• In a 1 quart heavy saucepan, dissolve the cornstarch in the lemon juice.
• Add the egg yolks, salt, cayenne, and dried mint leaves; stir with a whisk to blend, then stir in chicken broth.
• Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken and coats a spoon( it should not approach a boil).
• Remove from heat and use immediately or keep warm over hot, but not boiling, water until ready to serve.
• To prepare in advance, complete sauce, cool, and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat slowly until warm (do not let boil).

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH LAVENDER, HONEY & CLAQUERET

Steps:

• To make the claqueret, mix all the ingredients together. The flavours need time to meld, so ideally you should do this a couple of hours ahead and keep it at room temperature until ready to serve. You can also make the claqueret further ahead, cover and chill in the fridge, but remember to take it out and bring it to room temperature before serving.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Lay the lamb out flat, flesh-side up, and use a small knife to make incisions all over both the flesh and fat sides (they can be deeper on the flesh side). Crush the garlic with some sea salt using a pestle and mortar, then add the lavender leaves and flowers, olive oil, lemon, balsamic vinegar and honey to make a rough paste.
• Put the lamb in a roasting tin and push the paste into the incisions you made. Finish with the lamb fat-side up. Mix the glaze ingredients together and spoon this over the lamb. Season, then roast for 15 mins.
• Turn the heat down to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and roast for another 20 mins. The lamb will be pink. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for about 10 mins. Carve, then serve with the cooking juices and the claqueret.