Best Slow Cooked Greek Easter Lamb With Lemons Olives Bay Recipes

SLOW-COOKED GREEK EASTER LAMB WITH LEMONS, OLIVES & BAY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Arrange the unpeeled garlic cloves, 3 bay leaves and the lemon quarters in a large roasting dish and cover with 200ml cold water. Sit the lamb on top, drizzle with the olive oil and rub it in all over.
• Using a small sharp knife, cut small incisions in the lamb skin, then tuck the remaining peeled and sliced garlic and bay leaves into these slits.
• Season the lamb well and sprinkle over the cinnamon. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Leave to cook for 4 hrs, skimming the fat from the juices and removing the foil for the final 30 mins of cooking.
• After 1 hr, put the potato wedges in a large roasting tin, coat them in 4 tbsp olive oil and season well. Roast in the oven with the lamb for 11/2-2 hrs.
• Transfer the cooked lamb to a large piece of foil, wrap tightly and leave to rest for 20-30 mins. Check the potatoes are cooked (if you need to, turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 to finish cooking). Add the olives and wine to the pan juices, simmer them and keep warm until ready to carve. Serve the lamb thickly sliced with the olives, potatoes and Tahini & lemon sauce (see 'goes well with'), with the meat juices poured over at the last minute.

TRADITIONAL GREEK ROASTED LAMB AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Pat dry the lamb using paper towels and place it in a roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, make several incisions in the lamb and insert the slivered garlic and half of the rosemary leaves.
• Whisk together the olive oil, salt, pepper, the other half of the garlic (minced), the other half of the rosemary (chopped), thyme, oregano and lemon zest. Pour the marinade over the lamb making sure to cover it on all sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• 30 minutes before you are ready to roast the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and turn on the oven to 450°F.
• Wrap the lamb and its marinade well with parchment paper (not wax paper) and then with aluminum foil (this will ensure that all the juices stay with the meat and do not leek.) If you do not have parchment paper, use two layers of foil instead. Place the roasting pan with the lamb in the middle rack of the oven, cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 360°F. Roast for 2 hours.
• While the lamb roasts, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then in quarters. If the potatoes are large, cut each quarter in half again. Place them in a medium bowl and toss them with the salt, pepper, oregano, and lemon juice.
• After two hours, remove the roast from the oven, open the wrapping carefully and check it. At this point, the bone should be loose and starting to come away from the meat. If it is not, cover the lamb again, return it to the oven, and roast for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Uncover the lamb; there should be about a cup of its juices in the pan. If there is not enough liquid, add enough hot water to make about 1 cup. Scatter the potatoes around and under the lamb and return the pan to the oven for about 20-30 minutes until the skin of the lamb is brown and crisp (cover loosely with a piece of foil if the lamb becomes too dark before this time).
• At this point, remove only the lamb from the roasting pan and transfer it to a platter. Cover it loosely with some foil and let it rest for 20 minutes. Continue roasting the potatoes for another 15 minutes, or so, until they become soft and have a nice golden color. There should be still plenty of juice in the pan.
• To serve, spoon some pan juices over the lamb, divide it in four portions and serve it alongside the lemon potatoes. Garnish with some lemon slices and enjoy with a glass of Merlot.