A LAMB IN MINT CONDITION

My mother was a good cook who prepared beef steaks and roasts well and who regularly turned out fork-tender pork chops and crispy fried chicken, but she never served lamb. In college I sampled my first bite of this meat and became an instant fan. Grilled lamb kebabs, broiled lamb chops, roast leg of lamb -- no matter how this meat was cooked, I was enamored of its delicious, robust taste.

Several decades later my enthusiasm has not waned. I buy lamb regularly for family meals and choose it often as a main course when entertaining. In fact, for the past few days I have been working on a recipe for grilled, butterflied leg of lamb that I`m planning to serve for a casual dinner in several weeks. The dish has turned out to be quite easy. I marinate this cut of lamb for several hours in a mixture of chopped garlic, mint leaves, lemon juice and olive oil and then grill it over a charcoal fire.

The results are delicious. The hearty garlic combined with the refreshing flavors of mint and lemon complement the lamb beautifully. The simple preparation of this dish has pleased me as well. It takes only a few minutes to assemble the ingredients for the marinade and to blend them into a paste-like mixture in the food processor. Then the entire surface of the lamb is quickly brushed with the marinade and the meat is refrigerated for several hours and doesn`t even need to be turned. The grilling time is brief; cooking the lamb about 12 minutes per side yields meat which is well seared on the outside but juicy and pink inside.

To go with the lamb, you could choose from an array of summer vegetables. Corn on the cob, a salad of diced tomatoes and cucumbers mixed with feta cheese and black olives, a gratin of zucchini and onions are all possibilities. Saffron-scented rice or couscous with almonds and raisins (recipe follows) are other good accompaniments.

In the unlikely event you have any leftovers, fill pita pockets with some grilled meat, add sliced tomatoes, some feta or goat cheese and shredded greens such as romaine, and serve the sandwiches for another meal.

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH GARLIC, MINT AND LEMON

12 medium garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups loosely packed mint leaves, plus 8 mint sprigs for garnish

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2/3 cup olive oil

1 (4 1/2-pound) boneless leg of lamb, butterflied (see Note)

1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges for garnish

Process garlic, 1 1/2 cups mint leaves, salt, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and olive oil in food processor or blender about 30 seconds until herbs and garlic are finely minced and mixture has pesto-like consistency.

Rub mixture over all surfaces of butterflied lamb. Place meat in shallow nonreactive dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook meat, prepare grill. Arrange rack 4 to 5 inches from heat source. When grill is ready, place meat, skin or fat side down, and grill until well seared on outside, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn and cook meat on other side until seared well and instant-read meat thermometer inserted into center of lamb registers 130 degrees for medium rare. You can also check lamb by making slit in center with sharp knife. Meat should be juicy and rosy pink when done.

Remove meat and let stand 5 minutes. Cut meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange overlapping slices on serving platter and garnish with lemon wedges and mint sprigs. Serve immediately, garnishing each portion with mint sprig and lemon wedge. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Have butcher butterfly leg of lamb and remove all but thick layer of fat from skin side of meat. Have lamb trimmed to even thickness of about 2 inches to ensure that it will cook evenly.

COUSCOUS WITH RAISINS AND TOASTED ALMONDS

3 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups quick-cooking couscous

1/2 cup raisins

2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Note)

Salt

Bring stock and butter to boil over high heat in large, heavy saucepan with lid. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous and raisins. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Remove lid and stir in almonds. Season to taste with salt. Makes 8 servings.

Note: To toast almonds, spread on rimmed baking sheet and place on center rack of oven. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove and cool.

(Betty Rosbottom is a cooking school director and author of ``American Favorites,`` Chapters.)

(c) 2000, Betty Rosbottom. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

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Author: Betty Rosbottom