Barbecued herb-basted lamb with garlic and vino cotto

SERVES 6-8 PREP AND COOK TIME 50 MINUTES 2kg boned leg of lamb, butterflied

(see Maggie’s tips)

15 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely bruised

1⅓ cup (330ml) extra virgin olive oil

½ cup rosemary leaves ½ cup oregano leaves

1 bunch lemon thyme

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

8 fresh bay leaves

¼ cup (60ml) vino cotto

1 Open out the lamb on a board and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it is an even thickness. Place on a shallow tray and season both sides with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.

2 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Place 10 of the garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small fry pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Leave to cool.

3 To make the marinade, coarsely chop half each of the rosemary, oregano and thyme and place in a bowl with the remaining garlic and ¼ cup of the oil. Pour the marinade over the lamb and rub to coat all over. (The lamb can be marinated a day ahead for more pronounced flavour.)

4 Place the lemon zest, bay leaves and vino cotto on a serving large platter. Add the remaining oil, rosemary, oregano, thyme and roasted garlic and gently mix together.

5 Preheat a barbecue over a high heat.

Cook the lamb for 5 minutes then turn over and cook for a further 5 minutes. Place the lid down on the barbecue and cook for 15 minutes for medium rare or done as desired. If you don’t have a lid on the barbecue, you can place a large upturned roasting pan over the lamb. If using a griddle pan, you can roast the lamb in a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan-forced) for 15 minutes. Place the lamb on the platter with the herb mixture; cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes.

6 To serve, slice the lamb thinly; return to the platter and spoon over the vino cotto mixture. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.

Ask your butcher for a full leg of lamb and to bone and “butterfly” the lamb for you. This means to open it out to a similar thickness so it cooks quickly and evenly. Made from the must of grapes, vino cotto has a unique sweet/ sour flavour and works in any situation where you might use balsamic vinegar. It is available from some delis and gourmet food stores. – MAGGIE