Grilled leg of lamb with herb amp; spice crust

"We adapted this recipe from Vancouver chef Karen Barnaby's terrific Pacific Passions Cookbook (Whitecap). Before grilling, Karen coats the lamb with seeds and herbs. Slice lamb thinly and serve on rice pilaf. Or, for a marvelous Mediterranean sandwich, pile into whole wheat pitas warmed on the grill. For a sensational appetizer, serve lamb on grilled slices of baguette."
Recipe by: teoman

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Preparation Time:

20 Min

Serves:

Difficulty:

Moderate

Cost:

Main Ingredients:

3-1/2 lb ( 1.75-kg) boneless butterflied leg of lamb
6 garlic cloves
1 tbsp ( 15 mL) each of coriander seeds and black peppercorns
2 tsp ( 10 mL) fennel seeds
3 tbsp ( 45 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp ( 15 mL) fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried leaf thyme
1 tbsp ( 15 mL) fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped, or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried crumbled rosemary
3/4 tsp ( 4 mL) salt

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1. To avoid flare-ups, trim as much fat from lamb as possible. For grilling, meat should be of even thickness. If there is a thick portion, slash it and open it up butterfly-style.

2. Coarsely grind garlic, coriander, pepper and fennel in a spice or coffee grinder. Measure oil into a small bowl. Stir in garlic mixture, thyme, rosemary and salt. Spread over both sides of lamb. Place in a resealable plastic bag or in a dish. Seal bag or cover dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

3. Before grilling, bring lamb to room temperature so meat cooks evenly. Oil grill and preheat barbecue. Grill lamb, loosely covered with foil or with lid down, turning once, until browned, about 10 to 15 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove to a platter. Let sit, covered, for 10 minutes before thinly slicing lamb across the grain. Lamb is best served right away.

Nutrients per serving
34.5 g protein, 3.4 mg iron, 13.9 g fat, 32.0 mg calcium, 2.0 g carbohydrates, 277.0 calories.