Photo by: Dan Jones
4+ hours 4-6

Butterflied Lamb in Jerk Butter with Pumpkin Chutney

This is a fantastic weekend barbecue recipe. I’ve included a recipe for Jerk Butter, but to make life simpler you can add a tablespoon of store-bought jerk seasoning to some butter and brush over the lamb, if wished.

Found in this book

Ainsley's Caribbean Kitchen

Ebury Press

Method

In a pestle and mortar, pound together the rosemary, garlic, lemon zest and salt into a paste. Rub the paste all over the lamb, making sure it’s thoroughly worked in. Cover with clingfilm and marinate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight.

Meanwhile, make the chutney. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onions and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until soft. Add the chilli, ginger, garlic and mustard seeds and cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Add the vinegar and sugar and bring to a simmer, then add the pumpkin, red pepper and water. Bring back to a simmer, season with salt and gently cook for 30–35 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender and the liquid has reduced. Set aside until ready to serve.

To make the jerk butter, heat the butter and oil together in a small saucepan until the butter has melted. Add all the spices, garlic and Scotch bonnet chilli and gently cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime zest and juice.
Preheat a barbecue or oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Remove the marinated lamb from the fridge and lightly oil. Place the lamb on the hottest part of the barbecue grill and seal on both sides, keeping the lamb moving so that the meat caramelises all over but doesn’t burn. Move the lamb to a cooler part of the barbecue and brush with the jerk butter. Cook the lamb for 40–45 minutes, flipping it every 10 minutes and brushing with more jerk butter (this will give you medium-rare lamb). Remove from the heat and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Alternatively, roast the lamb in the hot oven for 30–40 minutes for medium-rare, basting frequently.

To serve, carve the lamb and serve with the pumpkin chutney.

TIP: To butterfly the leg of lamb, place the joint, meatier-side down, on a large chopping board. With your fingers, find where the long bone running down the length of the leg feels close to the surface. Using a sharp knife, split open the meat vertically along the bone and carefully peel it back from either side. At the furthest end is a group of smaller bones – continue to cut the meat away from these bones to completely open the leg up and lift the bones out. Cut away any excess fat and sinew. Alternatively, ask your friendly butcher to do it for you!

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Ingredients

  • 8 rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 1 x 2kg leg of lamb, butterflied (see tip)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • For the Pumpkin Chutney
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, split in half
  • 25g fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
  • 300ml cider vinegar
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 500g pumpkin, peeled and diced
  • 1 red pepper, de-seeded and finely diced
  • 600ml water
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • For the Jerk Butter
  • 150g unsalted butter
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 1⁄2 tbsp ground allspice
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1⁄2 Scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped
  • zest and juice of 1 lime