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Grilled Leg of Lamb w/ Feta & Herb Salsa

Source of Recipe

Food & Wine Magazine - June 2005


Recipe Introduction

Absolutely delicious and so easy. This is a perfect dish for entertaining. You do most everything ahead of time - the only last minute thing to do is to grill for 20 minutes. Instead of rolling and tying the lamb back into a roast, you grill it flat like an extremely lumpy steak. You end up with maximum crunchy outside meat and since there are thick and thin areas on the leg, a good assortment of rare to medium meat. "Salsa" is a bit of a misnomer - it is more like a thick pesto. The mint flavor is very subtle, so try this if you aren't fond (as I am not) of the overpowering flavor of mint on lamb. This is one of those dishes that is good the second time around, too. The meat and salsa along with some roasted red peppers and some good bread make a fantastic panini. I served this with roasted green beans, salad and couscous, but I think polenta would be a good choice, too.

List of Ingredients

1 1/2 c. mint leaves
1 1/2 c. flat-leaf parsley
6 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
3/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 c. + 2 T. olive oil, plus more for brushing, DIVIDED
1/4 c. + 2 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. grated lemon zest
salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 5 1/2 to 6 lb. butterflied leg of lamb
1 lb. feta cheese, preferably French, crumbled (4 c.)



Recipe

Put the mint, parsley, garlic and crushed red pepper in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add 1/4 c. plus 2 T. olive oil and process until it resembles a coarse paste. Add the Parmesan and lemon zest and process to completely mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Unroll the lamb onto a board and punch holes in it with a knife. Take 1/3 c. of the mint mixture and rub thoroughly into the lamb. Season with salt and pepper and place in a large plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight.

Add the feta and remaining 1/2 c. olive oil to the remaining mint mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate. You can do this the night before, as well.

The next day, bring the lamb to room temperature (about one hour) and heat a grill to medium high temperature. Brush the lamb all over with additional olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill about 20 minutes, turning occasionally. You want the internal temperature to be
125 degrees in the thick areas and 150 degrees in the thinner areas. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the feta salsa.

Set the salsa out for 15 - 20 minutes to take the chill off before serving.

Serves 8.

NOTE: Serve with a Crianza Rioja, a French Syrah or a Cabernet Sauvignon.