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A carved butterflied grilled boneless leg of lamb on a wooden cutting board with a knife resting beside the meat.
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5 / 3 votes

Grilled Leg of Lamb

Melissa Clark's grilled leg of lamb has a luscious Provençial take that you won't forget. Anchovies, garlic, and fennel take it from good to c'est magnifique!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time21 minutes
Total Time3 hours 10 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 188

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh fennel fronds or fresh basil leaves (or a combination)
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated or minced
  • 4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced, or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 (5 1/2- to 6-pound) boneless leg of lamb, butterflied, well-trimmed of fat
  • Mustard, for serving (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium dry skillet over medium heat, combine the fennel, cumin, and coriander seeds and toast until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the seeds to a mortar and pestle. Pound until the seeds start to break down but aren’t pulverized (or use the flat of a knife to crush the seeds).
  • In a large bowl, combine the crushed toasted seeds with the fennel fronds, garlic, anchovies or anchovy paste, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in as much oil as needed to make a paste and then rub the paste all over the lamb.
  • Cover the lamb with plastic wrap (or stuff it into a large resealable plastic bag) and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight.
  • When you’re ready to cook, heat an outdoor grill to high (or heat a broiler with the rack set 3 inches [8 cm] below the heat source).
  • Grill or broil the lamb until it reaches your desired doneness, 7 to 14 minutes per side. For medium-rare lamb, you’re looking for an internal temperature of 125°F (52°C) on a meat thermometer, which will climb to 130°F (54°C) or 135°F (57°C) before you slice it.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If your lamb is thicker on one side, you may need to cut off the thinner portion partway through the cook time and let it rest while the thicker portion finishes cooking.

  • Let the lamb rest (it will continue to cook), loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes before slicing it. Serve the mustard alongside, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 666mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g