Barbecued Rosemary Lamb with Salsa Verde

Rosemary and garlic marinated lamb, chargrilled on the barbecue and served with a punchy herb and anchovy salsa verde.

Servings: 6

Prep: 20m

Cook: 15m

Total: 2h 35m

6 butterflied lamb portions (from 4 large legs), or cut into large cubes for skewering
12 sprigs of rosemary (a dozen)
6 garlic cloves, bashed to release the skins, then roughly chopped
30-45ml olive oil
A few good twists of black pepper
Salsa verde, to serve
1 small garlic clove
A good bunch of flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of coarse stalks
Leaves from 3-4 sprigs of tarragon
4-5 anchovy fillets
About 1 tsp capers
About 1 tsp mustard (Dijon or English)
A pinch of sugar
A few drops of lemon juice or vinegar
30-45ml extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

For the lamb marinade, bruise the rosemary needles by rubbing the sprigs between your hands, then roughly strip the needles into a bowl.
Add the garlic, olive oil and pepper, then the meat. Toss well together and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours (4-6 hours is even better).
Remove the meat from the marinade and wipe it lightly so it isn’t dripping with oil, but leave the bits of garlic and rosemary sticking to it.
Place the lamb portions (or thread onto skewers that have been soaked in water for about 30 minutes, 5-6 cubes per skewer) over a fairly hot barbecue.
Let the meat sear for a couple of minutes without moving it — it should release cleanly from the bars — then turn every couple of minutes to avoid too much blackening on one side. Depending on thickness and how pink you like it, butterflied pieces will take 9-15 minutes and kebabs 6-10 minutes.
Serve with the salsa verde, in a bun or split pitta bread, or plated more formally with chargrilled vegetables, ratatouille or rosemary roast new potatoes.
For the salsa verde, finely chop the garlic on a large chopping board, then add the herbs, anchovies and capers and chop together until well mixed and fairly fine in texture.
Transfer to a bowl and mix in the mustard, sugar, lemon juice or vinegar and black pepper, plus enough olive oil to give a glossy, spoonable consistency, tasting and adjusting as you go.
This sauce is best made just before serving, but will keep for a few days covered in a jar in the fridge.