It certainly looks impressive, but the real beauty is how simple this butterflied lamb is to prepare. The vibrant salsa not only looks and tastes incredible but also cuts through the richness of the lamb. You can cook this dish in the oven or on the barbecue – let the weather decide!
1 butterflied leg of lamb
For the lamb marinade:
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
For the pistachio salsa:
¼ cup shelled pistachios
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 orange, zested then peeled, segmented, sliced
½ long chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 large handful Italian parsley, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
Score fat on the lamb and place in a dish or container with a lid. Combine all marinade ingredients and pour over the lamb. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 20 mins, or if time allows, overnight
Oven: Preheat oven to 200c
In an oven-proof fry pan, heat a little olive oil, place the lamb in the pan and leave to sear for 5 mins. Turn lamb over and then place the pan in the hot oven to bake. Cook to your liking: around 20 mins will take the lamb to medium-rare
Barbecue: Oil the cooking plate if necessary and heat barbecue to med-low. Place lamb on the heat to sear, turn after 10 mins and continue to cook until cooked to your liking – depending on your appliance and preference, 20-30 mins is about right. Remove lamb from heat and let rest for 10 mins before serving
For the salsa: While the lamb is resting, prepare the salsa. Heat oven to 180c, place pistachios on a roasting tray and bake for 4-5 minutes, remove from oven, cool then roughly chop
In a bowl combine garlic, lemon zest and juice, orange zest, orange segments, chilli, mint, Italian parsley. Add the chopped pistachios and olive oil. Fold all ingredients together, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Serve the lamb on a platter with the salsa scattered over