Barbecued 'Mojito' Shoulder of Lamb

The sun was out and shining today and we had a shoulder of lamb in the fridge so I thought I would try out a new recipe for the barbecue. Shoulder of lamb is a great choice at the moment because all lamb is now new seasons so really delicious and tender, and it is great value for money compared to the leg. Although there is more fat running through than leg of lamb, the meat is so tender it just melts away while cooking, helping to flavour the meat. The marinade I chose is a slight twist on the classic garlic and olive oil that we are so used to putting on lamb nowadays- the rum, lime juice, and mint just make it that extra bit special on a summers day.

Ingredients:
1 whole shoulder of lamb serves 5-6 people (ask your butcher to debone so that you can lay the meat flat on the BBQ so that it cooks quicker)

 6 crushed garlic cloves
a good handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons of rum
1 tablespoon of olive oil
the juice of one lime and zest grated

Unless you have a food processor, in which you can just blitz the above ingredients, start by pounding the garlic and mint together using a pestle and mortar.
Add the lime juice and zest and again mix together. Slowly add the other liquid ingredients and really stir well to let the flavours of the mint and garlic release into the rum.

Pour the mixture on to the lamb a bit at a time massaging into the meat as you go. When finished place the lamb into a bowl and cover with foil. Leave in the fridge for a good 3-5 hours to let the flavours permeate the meat.

We used a traditional charcoal BBQ to cook the lamb. Place the charcoal either side of a foil tray to collect any dripping fat. Once the coals are really hot, let the lamb cook flat on the BBQ for about an hour with the lid on to keep the BBQ hot.

Carve the meat and serve with buttery new potatoes and salad.