the Ingredients
Instructions
This lamb dish is a true crowd-pleaser—tender, flavourful, easy to prepare and serve. Its versatile ingredients allow you to serve it in a variety of styles: Middle Eastern, paired with hummus and fresh mint, or Greek, with tzatziki, cucumber, and tomato. The recipe calls for leg of lamb, which cooks beautifully in about two hours, yielding a perfect medium doneness. For a slower, melt-in-your-mouth experience, opt for lamb shoulder, which is rich in fat and ideal for a slow cook of 4 to 5 hours.
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. If easier, use a mortar and pestle to crush the garlic into a paste, lightly crush the fennel seeds, and combine the remaining ingredients.
- Butterfly the lamb out to approximately 2 cm thick. Cut the lamb into approximately 15 cm x 15 cm squares (slightly larger than the span of the rotisserie forks). Toss the lamb in the marinade. If desired, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Prepare the barbecue for cooking using indirect medium heat (190°C-230°C) with a rotisserie. Follow your rotisserie’s user guide for specific set up and preheat instructions.Prepare the barbecue for cooking using indirect medium heat (190°C-230°C) with a rotisserie. Set up your barbecue with a convection tray and the rotisserie stand, and preheat as directed. Refer to Step 6 for information on Weber Q settings and set up methods.
- Prepare the charcoal barbecue for cooking using indirect medium heat (190°C-230°C). Follow your rotisserie’s users guide for specific set up instructions.
- Slide one pronged fork onto the rotisserie rod, with the tines facing inwards. Slide it to the predicted end position of the fork and tighten. Slide the lamb onto the rotisserie rod, spreading and piercing through the meat to tightly stack it. Once all the meat is threaded onto the rod, add the other fork, with the tines facing inward. Push the fork firmly into the lamb, compacting the meat together. Centre the roast. If needed, loosen the first fork so you can centre the lamb. Once centred, tighten the forks.
Once the barbecue is preheated, set the rotisserie rod in place. Turn on the rotisserie motor and ensure it is rotating smoothly. Cook the lamb over indirect medium heat , with the lid closed, until it is caramelised, cooked through, and has reached your desired doneness—approximately 2 hours.
Whilst the lamb is cooking, make the basting mixture. Combine the ingredients in a jug. Using kitchen string, tie the sprigs of rosemary together to create a basting brush. Baste the lamb every 30 minutes.
Once the lamb has cooked through and is looking glorious, wear heatproof gloves, turn off the motor, carefully remove the spit from the barbecue, and place it onto a carving board to rest. Rest the roast for at least 15 minutes. - To serve, you can either carve the meat straight off the rotisserie rod, or loosen the forks and slide the lamb off the spit onto a board. Slice and serve immediately with your favourite sides.
