Easter Lamb Soup Recipes

EASTER LAMB SOUP WITH DOLMA

Steps:

• Tip the oil, bay, oregano, onions, garlic and leeks into a large pan over a medium heat and cook gently for 10 mins until the onions and leeks soften and become translucent. Add the lamb along with the bone, and cook for 10 mins more until the lamb has started to colour. Pour in the wine, then add the lettuce. Cook for 5 mins more. Tip in 3 litres cold water, cover and cook for about 1 hr until the lamb is tender.
• Meanwhile, tip the herbs into a bowl with 1 tsp sea salt and the spinach. Rub the salt and herbs into the spinach with your hands for 2 mins until the herbs and spinach have wilted. When the lamb has had 40 mins, add half the herb and spinach mix to the pan and continue cooking for the remaining 20 mins. Remove the bone and discard, then remove the meat using a slotted spoon, transfer to a board and shred using two forks. Return the meat to the pan, remove from the heat and add the rest of the spinach mix.
• To make the dolma filling, spoon a third of the lamb and spinach from the soup into a bowl using a slotted spoon, then mix with the uncooked rice, 3 tbsp of the oil, the lemon juice and some seasoning. Spread the vine leaves out on a board and put a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each. Roll each one up into a cigar shape, tucking in the ends as you go to enclose the filling. Arrange the dolma in a single layer in a small saucepan and drizzle with the rest of the oil and a ladleful of the soup. Cover and cook for 20 mins over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Whisk the eggs with the lemon juice and a ladleful of the soup, then tip this back into the pan with the rest of the soup, then stir (off the heat) until the soup is glossy and silky. Put about three dolma in each bowl, ladle over the soup, sprinkle with some chilli flakes, if you like, and serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

EASTER LAMB SOUP

Steps:

• Wash the lamb head and neck thoroughly and place in a pot with the onions. Cover with cold water, season with salt, and simmer for about 1 hour, skimming the surface several times.
• Cut the intestines into several pieces and wash thoroughly under running water. If you like, slice them open so you can wash them more easily. In a separate pan, bring some salted water to a boil and add the intestines. Blanch for 2 minutes, then remove with a skimmer and discard the water. Chop the intestines finely. You don't need more than 1 cup of chopped intestines.
• The head and neck are done when the meat falls from the bones. Remove them from the pot. Using a sharp knife, cut open the head and separate the meat from the bones. Remove the meat from the neck and cut all the meat into small pieces. Strain the stock and discard the onions. Let the stock cool and remove the fat. (Up to this point, the preparations can be made a day ahead. You can refrigerate the meat and the stock, making it easier to skim off the fat.)
• To finish the soup, wash the liver well and cut it into small cubes. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the liver with the scallions and chili pepper, if using. Add the finely chopped meat and intestines, together with 1 cup of the dill, and turn a few times with a wooden spoon. Transfer the mixture to a pot and add the stock plus an equal amount of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Taste and add more pepper and salt if needed.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl with about 2 spoonfuls of water and the juice of 1 lemon. Slowly add cupfuls of the hot soup to the bowl, beating continuously with the whisk. When the egg mixture is very hot, pour it slowly into the pot, stirring well, over very low heat, to prevent curdling. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed. Sprinkle with the rest of the dill, and serve immediately.
• NOTE: Some people add 1/2 to 1 cup short-grain rice to the soup.
• If you hate the taste of boiled lamb, you can make an equally tasty magiritsa with chicken livers and chicken stock. There is even a meatless magiritsa. Sauté the scallions and dill, adding a few chopped leaves of romaine lettuce. Pour in water or stock and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Make the egg and lemon mixture as described above and serve.

GREEK EASTER LAMB SOUP WITH EGG LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim the lamb of most of the fat. Cut lamb into bite-sized pieces. If the bone is too thick to cut through, cut all the meat off, but save the bone.
• Add olive oil to a large pot on medium heat. Add lamb and bone(s) and saute for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Add green onions and saute for another 3 minutes.
• Add 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then immediately lower to a simmer. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.
• Add lettuce, dill, salt, and pepper. Simmer for one hour.
• In a bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice.
• While whisking, ladle 2 ladlefuls of broth from the soup very slowly into the egg-lemon mixture. Make sure to keep whisking the whole time. You're trying to bring the temperature of the eggs up.
• Turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. Pour in the egg-lemon sauce and stir the soup immediately.
• It is important to not cover the soup, as the eggs may solidify.

ONE-PAN EASTER LAMB

Steps:

• Take the lamb out of the fridge 1 hr before cooking it and use a sharp knife to make small incisions all over the meat. Mix the oil with the oregano, chopped rosemary and lemon zest. Rub the marinade all over the lamb, massaging it well into the cuts.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the garlic, chilli, potatoes, fennel and remaining rosemary into a large roasting tin, pour over some olive oil and toss together. Season the lamb generously, then lay it on top of the veg. Roast for 45 mins until the lamb is starting to brown, then pour in the wine and stock. Continue cooking for 30 mins for rare (55C on a cooking thermometer), 35-40 mins for medium rare (60C) or 45 mins for cooked through (70C).
• Remove the lamb and rest for up to 30 mins. Turn oven down to 160C/140C fan/gas 3, cover the veg with foil and, while the lamb rests, put back in the oven until braised in the roasting juices. Scatter the fennel fronds over the veg, place the lamb back on top and bring the whole tin to the table to serve.

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.