Chef Jamie Gwen’s spring leg of lamb with mint pesto & roasted garlic aioli

A boneless and butterflied leg of lamb cooks quickly on the grill, imparting fabulous flavor and smokiness, while still guaranteeing you the ability to cook the meat to perfection.

Leg of lamb

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One 3-pound butterflied boneless leg of lamb, trimmed

Directions:

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper in your blender or food processor and blend to combine. Place the butterflied lamb in a resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Refrigerate for 24 hours, to impart fabulous flavor.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before you’re ready to grill to guarantee even cooking. Remove the lamb from the marinade, pat dry, and discard the marinade.

Preheat your Twin Eagles Grill using a 2-Zone set-up (one side of the grill on high heat and the other side on no heat) to cook the lamb indirectly using the radiant heat as convection.

Place the lamb on the grill over direct heat and sear both sides, creating grill marks and locking in the juices. Move the lamb to indirect heat, cover the grill, and cook until an internal thermometer registers 125ºF, about 15 minutes total for medium-rare, depending upon the thickness of the lamb.

Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with Mint Pesto and Roasted Garlic Aioli.

Yields 6 to 8.

 

Mint pesto

Ingredients:

Fresh mint and parsley combine for this bright spring-inspired pesto.

2 cups packed fresh mint leaves

1 cup packed fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pistachios

2 peeled garlic cloves

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Combine the mint, parsley, walnuts, and garlic in your food processor. Process to a paste. Slowly add the olive oil and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper and blend well. Taste to adjust the seasoning.

 

Roasted garlic aioli

Aioli is a classic preparation, a mayonnaise base with roasted garlic infused into each creamy, heavenly bite. You can make mayonnaise from scratch or use this cheat method for instant gratification.

Ingredients:

1 cup prepared mayonnaise

6 roasted garlic cloves*

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth.

*To roast garlic, cut the top third off of a bulb of garlic and drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and roast at 325°F for 1 hour or until the garlic cloves are caramelized and tender. For individually peeled garlic cloves, drizzle a handful of cloves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the seasoned cloves in an aluminum foil and roast for 30 minutes, shaking the packet a couple of times during cooking, or until the cloves are tender and golden.