Recipe
Serves 6
The butterfly cut has the bone removed and the meat is laid out flat making it great for barbecuing as it cooks relatively quickly.
The cut also suits different eating preferences for meat doneness, because of the nature of the chunkier and thinner sections means there’ll be areas cooking quicker and more well-done compared to the thicker part for those who prefer medium-rare.
The larger surface area also means the marinade can cover a lot of meat to deliver plenty of mouth smacking flavour. Marinated butterflied lamb makes for fuss-free summer entertaining and the accompanying salad is fresh, vibrant and crunchy, plus the fennel is a great palate cleanser.
To make the marinade, place the herbs and fennel fronds, paprika, garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt and a generous grinding of pepper into a food processor. Blend until a coarse paste forms, Alternatively, chop the herbs and garlic finely, then combine with remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
Cut 4 to 6 slits (about 3 cm long by 1 cm deep) on the fat side of lamb. Spread the marinade paste over both sides of lamb, rubbing all over and into the open cuts to flavour coat well. Place meat on a non-reactive tray or container, cover and transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours to overnight to marinate.
When ready to cook, remove the meat from fridge an hour to remove the chill before cooking.
Pre-heat a barbecue, or a large cast iron chargrill pan to medium-high heat.
To cook, place the lamb fat side down on the grill plate. Cook for 10 minutes, turn over and cook 8 minutes, for rare-medium, or until cooked to your liking. For accuracy use a meat thermometer, cook until the internal thickest section of the meat reaches 57°C for rare-medium, or for medium 63°C. Transfer the meat to a tray, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, slice the meat across the grain. Serve alongside the fennel salad.
To make the dressing, place the oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, mustard, a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper in a screw top jar. Give a good shake and set aside.
Cut the fennel into small dice. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice to stop browning (at this point the fennel can be prepared a few hours ahead and kept chilled in the fridge until ready to serve).
For the peas, have ready a bowl of cold water with a handful of ice cubes to create icy chilled water. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the peas and bring back to the boil and cook 4 minutes. Drain immediately, then transfer to the icy water to stop cooking.
When ready to serve, drain the peas well and add to bowl of fennel. Add the herbs and toss to mix. Give the dressing a good shake, pour over and toss to coat well. Transfer to a serving bowl. Scatter feta over the top to serve.
Ingredients
1kg – 1.2kg boneless lamb leg
Marinade:
½ bunch mint
Fennel fronds reserved from fennel bulb used in salad
½ bunch parsley
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves
Finely grated zest and juice of a lemon
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Fennel & pea salad:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt flakes
Black pepper
1 large fennel bulb, reserve fronds for the lamb marinade
200g (1 ¼ cups) frozen or fresh peas
150g marinated Persian feta, broken into pieces
