Paprika lamb with tomato salad

John's butterflied lamb is a recipe for the oven, but if you're lucky enough to get good weather this Bank Holiday Monday you could even dust off the BBQ and cook it alfresco.

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:

For the Lamb

1.5kg butterflied leg of lamb2 tbsp paprika3 garlic cloves, minced1 tsp sea salt flakes1 tsp pepper2 tbsp olive oil

For the salad

75g dried sour cherries, roughly chopped1 red pepper, very finely diced½ cucumber, very finely diced400g mixed-colour tomatoes, very finely diced30g fresh parsley, roughly chopped1 tbsp vinegar (sherry or cider is fine)2 tbsp pomegranate molasses3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7

• Place the lamb into a large roasting tray and pierce all over with a knife

• Make a rub with the paprika, cloves, salt, pepper and oil, and rub this into the entire piece of lamb. Roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes for medium rare, or longer if desired, and then cover the lamb with foil and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes. Or, see barbecue tip below.

• For the salad, in a bowl combine the sour cherries, pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, vinegar, molasses and oil and toss together well. It is vital that everything is chopped as small as you can manage, without making the salad too mushy.

• Slice the lamb and serve with the tomato salad

Tips:

Butterflying: Ask the butcher to butterfly (remove the bone) the lamb if you are not confident to do it yourself.

This lamb works well on the barbecue. Sear the lamb over hot coals for 5 minutes per side, then move the coals to the side of the barbecue and cook the lamb for a further 40 minutes, turning occasionally. Check it is cooked to your liking before serving.

Pomegranate molasses or syrup has a sweet-sour flavour and is used in Middle Eastern cooking. Use it in casseroles, sauces, marinades salad dressings, in hot drinks or over ice cream too. Find it in the speciality or ethnic aisle of the grocery store.