Marinated leg of lamb

Fresh American lamb is the best kind to use; I find that New Zealand lamb has a slightly muttony flavour. I ask my butcher to bone and butterfly the leg of lamb for me. This simply means that he removes the bone and cuts the leg open. My butcher is always happy to give me the bones and the trimmings. From these, I make a stock and add the stock to the marinade to make more sauce.
When I get my lamb home, I retrim it to get all the fat off. I also cut the sinews from the bottom of the leg and add them to the stock. The leg of lamb may be trimmed and marinated the day before serving. Keep it well covered in the refrigerator.

This recipe calls for fresh lemon juice and fresh garlic. If you have fresh rosemary, great! If not, Spice Islands dried rosemary is a good choice. Rubbing the herb between the palms before adding releases the volatile oils. Kikkoman, I find, is the best soy sauce. For those on a low salt diet, a low sodium variety is available. It is important not to overcook lamb. I treat it like a steak, cooking it to rosy rare and never letting it get well done.
This recipe is also fabulous done on a barbecue grill. Leftovers taste wonderful julienned in a salad.

Serves: 8

1 leg of lamb, 6 to 7 pounds, boned and butterflied

Marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/4 cup soy sauce

Remove all excess fat from the lamb, Rub both sides well with lemon juice, garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle on the soy sauce and let the lamb marinate with these ingredients for at least 30 minutes or for several hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes. Season the lamb with salt and pepper to taste (do not season earlier) and broil for about 15 minutes on each side. The cooking time varies according to the thickness of the lamb and the desired doneness, but it is best if removed when at least lightly pink inside.