Butterflied Studded Leg of Lamb

I cooked this recipe whilst I was in South Africa, using their local speciality called Karoo lamb. It has a very distinctive herby flavour, which comes from the herby pastures on which the sheep are raised. You can of course use any leg of lamb, although Welsh lamb is often considered to be our best, and the imported chilled New Zealand lamb is very good too. Make the citrus oil the day before the barbecue. Go on, get studding.

Serves 6–8

2–2.5 kg (4–4½ lb) leg of lamb

12 x 25 cm (10 in) stalks of woody rosemary

3 fat garlic cloves

6–8 very small garlic cloves (optional)

4 tablespoons medium dry sherry

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the citrus oil

1 lemon

1 small orange

1 large lime

300 ml (10 fl oz) olive oil

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

For the onion and rosemary skewers

18 small onions

icing sugar for dusting

Make the citrus oil: thinly pare the zest off the lemon, orange and lime and place it into a small pan with the oil and the peppercorns. Leave over a very gentle heat for about 5 minutes and then remove, pour into a heatproof glass bottle and leave to cool completely. Seal and leave for 24 hours.

Bone and butterfly the leg of lamb (see here).

Break the leaves off 2 of the stalks of rosemary in small clusters and strip the remaining pieces clean for the onion skewers. Leave the woody stalks to soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Cut the garlic into long thin slivers.

Make small, deep incisions all over both sides of the lamb and push in the sprigs of rosemary and slivers of garlic. (You could get small whole cloves in too if you’re keen on garlic.)

Drizzle over the sherry, some of the citrus oil and season well with salt and pepper. Barbecue over medium-hot coals for about 40 minutes for medium-rare lamb, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut the onions in half and thread 3 halves on to each rosemary stalk. Brush them with some of the citrus oil and place them on to the barbecue alongside the lamb. Dust with the icing sugar and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning every now and then.

Lift the lamb on to a board, cover with a sheet of foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes while the onion skewers finish cooking. Then carve it into thin slices and serve with the onions and the Fire-roasted Red Pepper and Nectarine Salad here if you wish.