Leg of Lamb over an open fire

Leg of lamb roasted over an open fire

I had guests for the weekend, and so reserved one of the two legs of lamb that The 100 Mile Store receives on a weekly basis.  As a  result of some miscommunication, I ended up with a boneless leg, which turned out to be one of those happy accidents.  It allowed me to place whole sprigs of rosemary and crushed garlic into the bone cavity resulting in a very tasty leg of lamb.  

Denis was visiting and made me a basting brush of branches of herbs freshly cut from the garden.  It looked great, was fun to use and contributed to the flavour of the crust of the lamb. 

I cooked the lamb over an open fire in a hand crafted Mexican fire bowl my friend Paula, who imports high end crafts from Mexico, gave to me.  It is fabulous because the overlapping joints of the diamond shaped metal pieces draws in just the right amount of air under and around the fire to support the fire while providing a large cooking surface.  It is  easy to move,  and the fire is at a good height for cooking. Perfect.

Paula's fire pot

Lamb Leg

1 - 6 to 7 pound leg of lamb, bone removed

3 large cloves of garlic, crushed into a paste

5 sprigs of rosemary

Rub

1/2 cup of coarse sea salt

1 tablespoon smoked hot paprika

1 tablespoon of pepper corns

Basting Brush

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 sprigs of summer savoury

1 sprig of oregano

Lemon Baste

1 lemon

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 sprig of thyme

1 sprig of rosemary

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Two hours before starting to cook, build a fire with hardwoods.   Establish a strong bed of coals that will last at least an hour.  I like to have some logs to the side, burning, so that coals can be added to as needed.  

Open up leg of lamb, and rub garlic paste into interior of lamb. Lay rosemary branches down the centre of the lamb, in place of bone.  Role lamb again into shape and tie  tightly with butchers string.  

Pulse sea salt, paprika, and pepper corns in a spice or coffee grinder until a fine consistency.  Pat mixture over exterior of the lamb until completely covered,  the moisture from the lamb will make a paste.  Cover and let rest for at least an hour. 

Prepare the basting brush by bunching the sprigs of herbs around a stick, and tying tightly with butchers string.  

Prepare the basting liquid, wash lemon and grate peel, being careful to only use yellow layer, leaving white pith on the the lemon.  Cut lemon in half and juice.  Add lemon peel, garlic, thyme and rosemary  leaves, and finely chopped garlic into mortar and mash with pedestal, thoroughly blending. Combine the lemon and herb mixture with olive oil and lemon juice.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.    

Place lamb on hot grill over very hot coals.  Turn every 5 minutes or when exterior sears.  Using herbed basting brush, baste lamb with every turn.  Once the exterior is completely sealed, turn every 10 minutes until lamb is done, being careful not to over cook. This could take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour depending on the heat of the coals and the degree of rareness you prefer. I like my lamb to be closer to red than pink.   

Take lamb off the grill and let rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting.