Despite minimal prep time, by marinating the meat overnight you ensure full-on lemon and herb flavour in every bite, making this a showstopping barbecue centrepiece.
It’s relatively straightforward to butterfly your lamb leg at home by cutting down vertically along the length of the leg to the bone, then removing the bone carefully, but you can shop pre-prepared butterflied lamb at most leading supermarkets, or ask your local butcher to do so for you.
(6fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to brush
1 level tbsp dried oregano
3 level tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 level tbsp chopped flat-leafed parsley
6
garlic cloves, finely chopped
150ml
(5fl oz) balsamic vinegar
Zest and juice of 2 small unwaxed, really ripe lemons
Directions
Step 1
Open out the meat, lay skin-side down and trim away any excess fat. Make slits all over it to help the marinade penetrate the flesh for maximum flavour. Place the lamb in a large ceramic dish big enough to take it in a single layer.
Step 2
Whisk the oil, herbs, garlic, vinegar, lemon zest and juice together in a small bowl and pour over the meat, rubbing well into the slits. Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
Step 3
Remove from the fridge an hour before barbecuing and put in a cool place. Lift from the marinade (don't throw it away) and barbecue over medium hot coals for 35-40min, turning frequently to ensure even cooking, basting with the marinade from time to time. The meat should be slightly pink in the centre.
Step 4
Remove from the heat, place on a board and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10min before carving across the width into long thin slices.
Per Serving:
Calories: 680
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An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
