A butterflied leg or shoulder of lamb is a great way to feed a crowd. Obviously the thicker the lamb, the longer it will take to cook, so when you butterfly the meat, make sure it’s no thicker than a steak – you can ask your butcher to do this for you.
Ingredients
Cracked wheat, lemon and mint salad
Method
Main
1.Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat. To butterfly lamb, start from the centre and cut outwards halfway through the thickness of the lamb with a large sharp knife on each side and open out to one large flat piece about 2cm thick. Drizzle lamb with oil and scatter with spices, sea salt flakes and pepper, then rub seasoning all over the lamb and grill, turning occasionally, until lamb is charred and pink and internal temperature reaches 63C (10-15 minutes). Transfer lamb to a plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest (10 minutes).
2.Meanwhile, for salad, cook cracked wheat in a saucepan of boiling water until al dente (10-11 minutes). Drain well in a sieve, shaking to remove excess water, and spread out over a tray to cool and dry (10-15 minutes). Place in a bowl, add remaining ingredients and season to taste.
3.Thickly slice lamb and serve with cracked wheat salad scattered with oregano leaves and lemon wedges to the side.
Note Dried black olives are available from delicatessens, if they’re unavailable, substitute other black olives. Shanklish, a hard cheese coated in za’atar and spices, is available from Middle Eastern grocers. If it’s unavailable, substitute feta.
Notes
