Greek-Style Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Feta Sauce

This Greek-style leg of lamb has a little spiral of extra flavor inside, and looks like it was more complicated than it really is to make.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Keyword: lamb roast, leg of lamb, roasted lamb

Servings: People

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Katie Workman

Ingredients

1 boned and butterflied leg of lamb fat trimmed (about 6 pounds)
6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
½ cup fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Fresh dill or oregano sprigs to garnish the platter

For the Creamy Feta Sauce:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt preferably whole milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
2 garlic cloves very finely minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup crumbled feta
Dill sprigs for serving, optional

Instructions

Place the garlic, oregano, thyme, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the lemon zest (reserve the juice for later) in a mini or regular sized food processor, and season with salt and pepper. Process until it becomes a paste (if you are a mortar and pestle type of cook, you can use that instead).
Rub about 2/3 of the herb paste on the top of the lamb, the side that was cut for butterflying. Then roll up the lamb, and tie it well with kitchen twine at 1 ½ inch intervals to keep it tightly rolled. Rub the rest of the paste over the outside of the lamb, place in a pan or container, and refrigerate from 1 hour to 24 hours uncovered
Take the lamb out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the lamb in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375° and roast for another 50 to 70 minutes. An internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast should read 125°F for medium rare.
While the lamb is cooking or resting, make the Creamy Feta Sauce. In a small bowl combine the Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, dill, and minced garlic. Add the feta and stir and lightly mashing it into the mixture, using a fork. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Spring over some small dill sprigs, if using.
When the lamb is cooked let it rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes. Slice the lamb against the grain, remove the string, and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon lemon juice over the sliced lamb and give the slices a light seasoning of salt and pepper. Serve warm with the feta sauce on the side.

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