Butterflied leg of lamb with sherry and honey

Recipe

Serves: 6

Cooking and preparation

• Preparations time: overnight
• Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5-2kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 6oz leg of lamb (weight with bone in)
• vegetable oil

• For the marinade

• 250ml/9fl oz dry sherry
• 200ml/7fl oz clear honey
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 cloves
• 3 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
• 10-15 black peppercorns
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange

• For the bulgar wheat salad

• 300g/10½oz cooked bulgar wheat (cooked weight - about 100g/3½oz uncooked)
• 2 large bunches flatleaf parsley
• 2-3 spring onions
• 1 large tomato
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• flatbread, to serve

Method

1. To remove the bone from the leg of lamb, place the lamb on a clean, secured cutting board. Locate the 'H' bone (this is part of the pelvic bone) at the 'top' of the lamb leg. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut around the bone and remove it, cutting through the ball and socket joint connected to it.

2. Starting at the 'foot' end of the leg bone cut along the bone and then cut along other side of it, pulling the meat away from the bone as you go.

3. Once you've cut along one side of the bone, trim all the way around the bone, using short strokes, until it's released. Remove the bone and discard.

4. Trim away any cartilage. Make a final cut along the length of the thickest part of the meat to completely open it up, giving it a uniform thickness.

5. For the marinade, pour the sherry and honey into a dish (not aluminium) large enough to comfortably hold the lamb and add the thyme, cloves, star anise, cinnamon and black peppercorns. Whisk the ingredients together to combine.

6. Cut the lemon in half. Juice it and add the juice to the marinade. Halve and juice the orange and add the juice to the marinade.

7. Place the lamb in the dish with the marinade. Tuck in the orange and lemon rinds. After 30 minutes, turn the lamb over. Cover with cling film, place in the fridge and marinate for 24 hours, turning the lamb over several times during that time.

8. The next day, remove the lamb from the marinade. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Heat a large roasting pan until hot. Add the oil and, when hot, add the lamb, flesh-side down first, and sear until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the lamb over and brown the other side.

9. Place the browned lamb directly onto an oven rack and place in the oven, over a tray to catch the juices. Roast for about 35-45 minutes for medium meat. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave in a warm place to rest for at least ten minutes.

10. Meanwhile, make the bulgar wheat salad. Place the cooked bulgar wheat in a large bowl. Chop the parsley leaves and stalks finely and add to the bowl.

11. Quarter the spring onions lengthways, then chop finely and add to the bowl.

12. Dice the tomato and add to the bowl.

13. Halve and juice the lemon and add the juice to the bowl. Add the olive oil and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow the flavours to infuse for 2-4 minutes.

14. Serve generous slices of lamb with the bulgar wheat salad and some flatbread.

Step by step

1. 

   Step 1

   To remove the bone from the leg of lamb, place the lamb on a clean, secured cutting board. Locate the 'H' bone at the 'top' of the lamb leg. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut around the bone and remove it, cutting through the ball and socket joint connected to it.
2. 

   Step 2

   Starting at the 'foot' end of the leg bone cut along the bone and then cut along other side of it, pulling the meat away from the bone as you go.
3. 

   Step 3

   Once you've cut along one side of the bone, trim all the way around the bone, using short strokes, until it's released. Remove the bone and discard.
4. 

   Step 4

   Trim away any cartilage. Make a final cut along the length of the thickest part of meat to completely open it up, giving it a uniform thickness.
5. 

   Step 5

   For the marinade, pour the sherry and honey into a dish (not aluminium) large enough to comfortably hold the lamb and add the thyme, cloves, star anise, cinnamon and black peppercorns. Whisk the ingredients together to combine.
6. 

   Step 6

   Cut the lemon in half. Juice it and add the juice to the marinade. Halve and juice the orange and add the juice to the marinade.
7. 

   Step 7

   Place the lamb in the dish with the marinade. Tuck in the orange and lemon rinds. After 30 minutes, turn the lamb over. Cover with cling film, place in the fridge and marinate for 24 hours, turning the lamb over several times during that time.
8. 

   Step 8

   The next day, remove the lamb from the marinade. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Heat a large roasting pan until hot. Add the oil and, when hot, add the lamb, flesh-side down first, and sear until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the lamb over and brown the other side.
9. 

   Step 9

   Place the browned lamb directly onto an oven rack and place in the oven, over a tray to catch the juices. Roast for about 35-45 minutes for medium meat. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave in a warm place to rest for at least ten minutes.
10. 

    Step 10

    Meanwhile, make the bulgar wheat salad. Place the cooked bulgar wheat in a large bowl. Chop the parsley leaves and stalks finely and add to the bowl.
11. 

    Step 11

    Quarter the spring onions lengthways, then chop finely and add to the bowl.
12. 

    Step 12

    Dice the tomato and add to the bowl.
13. 

    Step 13

    Halve and juice the lemon and add the juice to the bowl. Add the olive oil and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow the flavours to infuse for 2-4 minutes.
14. 

    Step 14

    Serve generous slices of lamb with the bulgar wheat salad and some flatbread.