Best Butterflied Leg Of Lamb With Thyme And Orange Recipes

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).

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH THYME AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Combine thyme, orange peel, garlic, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Open lamb on rimmed baking sheet. Using small sharp knife, make twelve 1/2-inch-deep slits on each side of lamb. Fill each slit with 1/2 teaspoon thyme mixture. Rub any remaining thyme mixture over both sides of lamb. Brush lamb lightly with olive oil. (Can be prepared ahead. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.)
• Preheat broiler. Broil lamb 4 inches from heat source until brown and crusty and meat thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 125°F to 130°F for medium-rare, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to platter. Let stand 15 minutes. Slice thinly across grain.

RAIN-OR-SHINE LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Take the lamb out of the fridge an hour or so before cooking to allow it to come up to room temperature. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 or light the barbecue. Mix together the oil, caraway seeds, thyme and parsley with lots of salt and pepper. Smear this all over the lamb, rubbing it well into the meat. You can do this up to a day before.
• If you are cooking the meat on the barbecue, wait until the fire has died down and the coals are white and glowing. Lay the meat, skin-side down, onto the bars and cook for 15 mins. Flip over and cook for a further 15 mins for slightly pink lamb, or 5 mins longer if you want the meat well done. Remove and leave to rest on a tray, covered with foil, for at least 15 mins. To cook the lamb in the oven, place it on a large shallow baking tray, cook for 15 mins, then turn down the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and cook for a further 15 mins. Leave to rest for 15 mins. Once the meat has rested, slice it up and pour over any juices from the resting tray.

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Pat lamb dry with paper towels and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Season all over with salt and pepper.
• Set aside 1 teaspoon of the garlic. In a bowl, combine remaining garlic with thyme, oregano or marjoram, cumin, chile, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon oil, just enough to create a sandy paste. Rub mixture all over lamb. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 1 hour or, even better, overnight in the refrigerator.
• Prepare the salsa verde: In a small bowl, combine a pinch of salt, the remaining teaspoon garlic, remaining 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons preserved lemon, parsley, cilantro, mint and scallion and stir well. Drizzle in remaining oil. Season with more preserved lemon, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and mellow.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast lamb without turning for 22 to 35 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 120 degrees for rare and 130 for medium. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the salsa verde.

BROILED AND SLOW-ROASTED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH CUMIN AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Mix oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano; spread paste on both sides of the lamb and let stand for an hour until meat comes to room temperature.
• Adjust oven rack to upper or upper-middle position (depending on lamb's thickness) and preheat broiler on high for at least 10 minutes.
• Place lamb, cut side up, on a large wire rack set over a foil-lined roasting pan. Broil, moving pan so entire surface browns evenly, about 8 minutes. Turn lamb over; continue to broil until well browned on the other side, about 8 minutes longer. Turn off broiler, remove lamb from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the lamb; return it to the oven. Roast for a total of 50 minutes to 1 hour, until thermometer registers a rosy-pink 140 degrees. Check lamb several times after 30 minutes. If lamb gets done sooner, simply turn down oven to 170 degrees until ready to serve.
• As soon as lamb comes out of the oven, squeeze on lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Carve, slicing across the grain when possible. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with accumulated juices, and serve.

HERBED AND BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• With a mortar and pestle, lightly crush peppercorns and coriander seeds. Transfer to a small bowl, and add olive oil, salt and garlic. Finely grate lemon peel, and add to mixture. Cut lemon into quarters, and squeeze juice into mixture, then add leftover lemon as well.
• Place lamb skin side down in a shallow dish, and press whole rosemary sprigs into scored meat. Pour marinade over meat, pressing lemon pieces into meat. Cover dish with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to cook, remove lamb from refrigerator, and allow to sit at room temperature while oven heats to 425 degrees. Place lamb skin side up in a roasting pan, keeping lemon pieces and rosemary pressed into underside.
• Roast 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 145 degrees (for medium-well lamb), or adjust cooking time as desired. When cooked to taste, remove lamb from oven, and allow to rest in pan for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.