Among the dishes of lore I carry with me from my youth is my dad’s grilled leg of lamb. I’ve inherited the specific-use hard plastic marinating tub from his kitchen, still redolent of aged garlic. My dad sometimes included a 2-ounce tin of anchovies in his marinade, the salt-fermented fishes melting away and enhancing the lamb-ness of the lamb. In this updated version, anchovies are replaced by Maine garum. The marinade, spread over a butterflied leg, provides both seasoning and a slight cure. Though you could age this in a covered container in the fridge, I like to leave it in the Maine refrigerator (meaning our mudroom, which in spring is colder than our actual refrigerator) where the abundant garlic aroma won’t entwine with everything else destined for our table. This wonderful alchemy can only be improved by cooking over a live fire, and while grilling this time of year can be somewhat punitive to the cook, if you’ve got a fireplace in which you can give this a quick hard sear, go for it. Otherwise, the broiler or a cast-iron pan will do just fine.
Makes
4 servingsIngredients
- 5 cloves garlic grated
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 3 tablespoons Maine garum
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds lamb leg deboned and butterflied so that it is roughly even thickness
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest and juice, garum, and olive oil.
- Place the lamb on a baking rack set over a roasting pan. Brush both sides of the lamb with the marinade. Place the lamb in the fridge uncovered for at least 1 day and as long as 2 days. I recommend to keep the marinating lamb in a cold mudroom or breezeway, as it’s important to leave it uncovered and the garlic will permeate other foods in your fridge if kept there.
- If you’re feeling brave enough to cook outside, start a hot fire in a grill, or turn your broiler to high and place the rack as close to the heat as possible. Sear the lamb fat side down directly over the coals, or with the fat side up under the broiler.
- Cook until well charred and flip to sear the meaty side. Cook until a thermometer reads 126°F in the thickest part of the meat. Remove from heat and rest 10 minutes before slicing as thinly as possible.
