BBQ Spiced Leg of Lamb

Yesterday was just about my ideal day , delcious breakfast, long walk full of the joys of spring; lambs skipping everywhere , meadows full of flowers ,picnic in the sunshine .

To finish off the perfect day it had to be a BBQ in the evening ( first of the year) . I have been reading Claudia Roden Picnics and other outdoor feasts, I found it reduced to 2.50, published in the early 80s and lacking the glossy pictures of modern tomes its packed with tonnes of delicious recipes from the Middle east to classic British Jellied meats its inspirational and already well thumbed.

Claudia describes grilling a butterflied leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic, inspired I decided I would try moving beyond my safe zone of kebabs and fish , in part since the BBQ often stays hot a long time and these foods cook very quickly making me feel a but wasteful. I decided to got a bit middle eastern using what has become one of my favourite flavours Ras al hanout ( blend of roasted cardamom, cloves, cinnamon,parpika ,coriander, cumin, tumeric and rose petals ) .

I couldn’t believe how delicious this was , the lamb had stayed moist it stayed to moist but with that only a charcoal BBQ can give sweet crunchy smokiness on the outside ( feeling mere twinge of guilt having watched zillions of lambs hop skip and jump there way around the Dales all day). Will be trying this again with some other marinades . Served with a salad made from chargrilled veges and cous cous

Its still a bit cold once the sun goes down so we were wearing hats ,
drinking warming red wine and a bit huddled round the BBQ but the food
tasted amazing so good I think I had thirds.

Charcoal Grilled Spiced Leg of Lamb

Rub 3 tbsp of Ras al hanout spice and half a preserved lemon all over the leg of lamb with 2 tbsp of olive oil, leave for a few hours
Once the BBQ is ready to cook .
Grill the lamb for 5 minutes on each side close to the coals on each side to sear the meat
Moving the meat to the top tier of the BBQ cook for 25 minute on each side
Wrap the meat in foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Slice thinly and serve with plenty of pitta bread , salad and hummus

Roasted Cauliflower & Cous Cous Salad

BBQ kebabs of cauliflower , pepper and aubergine brushed with a little chilli oil
Once grilled with cous cous , red peppers , olive oil , lemon juice fresh parsley

Some other lovely BBQ recipes