Stewart Turner is the Head Chef in our cellars at No. 3 St James’s Street, and with his passion for food and wine and experience in some top London establishments including Michel Roux’s Waterside Inn, this is his perfect job. Since joining Berrys in 2008, Stewart has made some fantastic changes to the food served at events in our cellars and townhouse – ensuring the dishes served keep up with current food trends. Here we share one of Stewart’s summer barbeque recipes – perfect for those willing to brave the unpredictable British summer weather!

Stewart’s Barbecued Leg of Lamb with Yoghurt Dressing

This is great teamed with some grilled Provencal vegetables that can also be cooked on the barbecue, or a spiced cous cous salad.

(Serves 6-8)
1 leg of lamb, boned and butterflied (ask the butcher to do this)
½ head of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 large red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
A good pinch of ground cumin
A good pinch of smoked paprika
½ bunch thyme leaves, picked and chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

In a bowl combine the ginger, garlic, chilli, paprika, cumin, thyme and the lemon zest and juice, and mix with a good glug of olive oil. Smear this mix all over the lamb and season well with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Leave to marinate for a couple of hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Place the lamb in a snug-fitting roasting tray and cover tightly with a double layer of kitchen foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes if you like your meat pink, or longer if you prefer it well done.
Remove the lamb from the oven and transfer to a plate. Drop it on a hot barbecue. It will sizzle and there might even be a few flames, but move it around the grill to stop it burning. After 10 or 15 minutes you’ll have a lovely smoky, crispy surface on the meat.
Let the lamb rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serve with the yoghurt dressing.

Yoghurt dressing
½ bunch of mint, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
350 ml Greek yoghurt
1 lemon
Whilst the lamb is cooking make the dressing by adding the chopped mint and diced cucumber to the yoghurt with a good squeeze of lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

Wine Recommendation
Nick Page, Berrys’ food and wine matching guru, suggests a Rioja for this dish. Rioja and lamb is a classic food pairing, and yoghurt also works brilliantly with Rioja.