This recipe is from an ancient newsgroup circa 1988 before the internet was used as it is today. The newsgroup was called all.gourmand. :)
Bill has made it almost every year for Easter since 1996. May God bless you this Easter! Alleluia, He is Risen!
From Steven McGeady (who posted his recipe on the newsgroup those many years ago):
Lamb Sans Mint
"I devised this recipe after being unable to find an appropriate recipe in the library. It is always well-received, and it looks impressive far out of proportion to its difficulty. Because it is simple and difficult to screw up, it is perfect as the centerpiece for a meal with a large group or with complex side dishes. Serve with a hearty rice pilaf and a vegetable. "
Serves 4-6 (really more in our family).
1 leg of lamb, butterflied and trimmed
6 TBSP rosemary (we have used fresh and dried--either is fine)
4 TBSP freshly ground black pepper
6 TBSP green onions, chopped
4-5 cups burgundy wine
2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP thyme
1 cup onion, chopped (red or yellow)
Carefully trimming the fat from a butterflied leg of lamb, and finish the cut, as needed, so that the lamb lies flat in a butterfly shape. A large butterflied leg of lamb should be no more than 2-3 inches thick.
Take a liberal amount of rosemary, crush it, and rub it into the lamb. When crushing it, don't turn it into dust, just break it. Sprinkle some black pepper on the cut side of the meat.
Combine the remaining ingredients (wine, green onions, olive oil,, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme and onion) into a marinade.
Place the lamb in a shallow dish or bowl, cover as much as possible with the marinade, and store in the fridge, covered, for 4-24 hours. Turn at intervals to marinade evenly.
Grill over mesquite and charcoal on a grill with a tight-fitting lid, such as a Weber. Cook on one side for 25 minutes, occasionally spooning leftover marinade onto the uncooked side, then turn and cook about 20 more minutes.
Make a small cut in the thickest part of the lamb to check for doneness: when the center is still pink, but not raw, take the lamb off and prepare to serve. Remember that the lamb will continue to cook after you take it off the grill.
Serve the lamb cut-side down (pretty side up). Garnish with uncooked green onions.
Notes:
Your butcher can butterfly a leg of lamb for you. Tell him you will be cooking it flat, and not rolling it back up into a roast. Ask him to be careful.
ETA: Here is the lamb butterflied by dh on Easter Sunday last year at about 12:30 am. :) He has just finished rubbing in the fresh rosemary and spices. It is about to go in the marinade. I will post the "after" picture later after we finish ours for this year...
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