Recipe: Roast butterflied lamb with salsa verde

This delicious and indulgent dish is perfect for when you’re having the whole family over for dinner

Serves eight

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
1.5kg boned and butterflied leg of lamb
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa verde:

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 basil sprigs, chopped
2 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 tablespoons capers
200ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7.

• For the marinade, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and rosemary to a small bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix together well.

• Place the lamb, skin-side up, in a roasting tin and pour over the marinade. Using clean hands, rub the marinade into the lamb and then leave it to sit for 30 minutes. This allows the flavours to be absorbed into the lamb and also gives the meat time to come to room temperature before roasting.

• When the 30 minutes is up, roast the marinated lamb for 40 minutes.

• While the lamb is roasting, add all the ingredients for the salsa verde to a bowl and mix together well.

• Remove the roasted lamb from the oven, cover with a loose tent of foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

• Thinly slice the roasted lamb onto a warmed platter and spoon the salsa verde down the centre of the lamb. And serve.

This recipe from Clodagh’s Suppers by Clodagh McKenna first appeared in Irish Country Magazine.