Butterflied leg of lamb with preserved lemons

This dish is a great for feeding a crowd. It is super simple to make and full of flavour.

You can buy a butterflied joint from your butcher. A 'butterflied' joint is where the bone has been removed and the meat opened out into roughly the shape of a butterfly. This means it is quicker to cook and easier to carve.

Serves
:
6-8
Preparation time
:
over 2 hours
Cooking time
:
30 mins to 1 hour

    Ingredients
  • 2.5kg leg of lamb, butterflied and the skin scored

    • For the marinade
  • 4 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 preserved lemons, chopped, pips discarded
  • 1 tbsp drained capers, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp runny honey

    • For the lemon dressing
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 preserved lemons, finely chopped, pips discarded
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 heaped tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Method
  1. Lay the lamb, skin side up, in a shallow dish.
  2. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the lamb, massaging it in with your fingers.
  3. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or for up to 12 hours if time allows.
  4. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7.
  5. Put the lamb, skin side up, in a roasting tin and pour over any marinade left in the dish.
  6. Roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until dark golden and crisp on top and medium-rare in the middle.
  7. Rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes while you make the dressing.
  8. Measure all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
  9. Carve the lamb into slices and serve hot with the lemon dressing and juices from the roasting tin.