Ingredients

AUSTRALIAN LAMB

1 Australian leg of lamb, boneless, butterflied, and trimmed

MARINADE

1 cup red wine

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons oregano, dry

2 teaspoons basil, dry

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

GRILLED VEGETABLES

2 red peppers, halved

1 eggplant, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 pint portabella mushrooms

24 asparagus spears

olive oil, for grilling

ALMOND PESTO

1⁄3 cup dry roasted or blanched almonds

1 cup Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup basil, chopped

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons soft goat or feta cheese

Preparation

  1. Place lamb in a shallow ceramic or glass casserole dish. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the lamb. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight, turning lamb over once or twice during that time. Discard marinade.
  2. Preheat a hooded barbecue to medium heat. Cook lamb with hood closed turning it once or twice, about 10-15 minutes each side or until it reaches an internal temperature of 130-140°F in the thickest part. Remove from the grill and transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
  3. While the lamb is resting, brush the vegetables with oil and grill until lightly browned and tender. Arrange on a large platter with the sliced lamb and pesto.
  4. To make the pesto, place the almonds, parsley, basil, oil and juice in a food processor and process to a coarse paste. Add the cheese and process just to combine.