Scruffed lamb with gremolata butter

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Lamb

Scruffed lamb with gremolata butter

Main Serves 4 50 min
This recipe is a little unusual. 'Scruffed lamb' was inspired by American BBQ guru, Adam Perry Lang. The technique is simple – beat your joint with a wooden bat or better still, a piece of 3 x 2 wood to loosen the meat to allow it to cook faster. Breaking the skin means that more of it gets roughened and therefore charred and caramelized during cooking. The amount of servings will vary depending on the size of the joint used.

Ingredients

  • 1 lamb joint
  • olive oil
  • for the gremolata butter:
  • 100g salted butter
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove (roasted if you aren't that keen on the taste of raw garlic)
  • ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp mint, chopped

Method

Prep time: 30 min
Cooking time: 20 min

  • Step 1

    To make the butter, blend the ingredients together and roll up in greaseproof paper, or the butter paper, and chill.

  • Step 2

    If your lamb has just the thigh or marrow bone, put it on a chopping board and score the surface with a sharp knife. Other bones (i.e. those that might splinter) should be removed.

  • Step 3

    Hit the joint with something akin to a baseball bat until it looks as though it has gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. Place the lamb on a wooden board and beat out, as described, until it is about 7cm thick; essentially a very thick steak.

  • Step 4

    Season well, brush with olive oil, heat up your BBQ or ridged griddle pan, and cook for about 10 minutes on each side, making sure that all surfaces are evenly charred.

  • Step 5

    If you like your lamb rare, wrap it in greaseproof paper at this point and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. If not, give it another 15 minutes in a 180°C/Gas Mark 4 oven before wrapping in greaseproof paper and allowing it to rest.

  • Step 6

    Carve the joint into thick slices onto a big platter, arrange discs of the gremolata butter on top and serve when they begin to melt. You might need to hasten the process by putting the platter in the oven for a few minutes. Serve with new potatoes and salad.