butterflied leg of lamb with a sticky rhubarb glaze

RECIPE DIRECTION :

1. Start by preheating the oven to 180C/160C/Gas 4. If the leg of lamb is thicker in places, lay it on a board and make vertical slices, then open it up. This will help it to cook evenly.
2. Put the lamb into a large roasting dish. Drizzle over the oil and be generous – cover both sides. Sprinkle over the salt and, again, be generous.
3. Pop it into the oven for 40 minutes if you like the meat medium, or 30 minutes if you prefer it pink.
4. Meanwhile, for the rhubarb glaze, melt the butter in a pan. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook on a high heat for just a few minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the rhubarb, salt, honey and chilli powder, then stir.
5. Increase the heat slightly and mix occasionally. As it cooks it should resemble lava bubbling. You need to cook this for about 30–40 minutes until you have a rich, deep paste. If it starts to stick, just lower the heat and stir frequently. If you have a particularly tart batch of rhubarb you may like to add an extra 1–2 tablespoons of honey.
6. Once the leg of lamb has been in the oven for the required cooking time, remove it. If there is any liquid in the base of the roasting dish, carefully drain it off.
7. Brush the glaze all over the top and base of the meat, and leave it fatside up to finish cooking.
8. Once it has cooked for a further 20 minutes, take it out and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before eating.