Greek Roast Leg Of Lamb With Lemon Potatoes Recipes

GREEK ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Wash lamb well and pat dry.
• Finely chop 8 cloves of garlic and place in a glass dish or sturdy plastic bag large enough to hold the lamb.
• Stir in 4 tsps each of oregano and rosemary, 1/4 cup of the oil, the wine, zest and lemon juice.
• Place lamb in marinade, turning to coat well on all sides; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Crush remaining 6 cloves of garlic and stir together with remaining 2 tsps each oregano and rosemary.
• Remove lamb from marinade (keep marinade) and pierce in several places with the tip of a sharp knife.
• Rub garlic-herb-mustard mixture over lamb, pressing into incisions.
• Coat with remaining 2 tbsp of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
• Peel potatoes and cut into large wedges or like cottage fries (or if you are using small, new potatoes, leave them whole).
• Toss in the marinade kept from the lamb and 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil and pour all of this mixture into your pan, around the lamb.
• Roast, uncovered, in 190 degrees C (375 F) oven for 1 ½ hours, turn lamb over to make a crust on the other side, give potatoes a stir and continue to roast for another 45 minutes (total roasting time - 2 hours and 15 minutes).
• Greeks do not like to eat lamb anyway but well-done.
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding was SO WRONG when they showed the platter of (red-pink lamb being passed around).
• Do it the way you prefer in terms of timing, but this is the way it would be served here.
• Serve with plenty of crusty bread to dip into the pan juices, a large, leafy salad, and lots and lots of red wine!

CLASSIC GREEK ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON-GARLIC POTATOES

Steps:

• Trim the excess fat off the lamb and set aside.
• Finely chop the whole garlic head.
• Combine with the remaining marinade ingredients.
• Place the lamb in a large, deep container or baking dish and pour in the marinade.
• Turn the lamb in the marinade so that it is coated all over.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Using a mortar and pestle, crush the ingredients for the dry rub all together until they are pastelike in consistency.
• Remove the lamb from the marinade and discard the marinade.
• Make 10-15 small incisions all over its surface using a small, sharp paring knife.
• Stuff each of these little holes with the dry rub and rub whatever is left over the surface of the lamb.
• Season well with salt and pepper and rub the lamb with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Place the potatoes in a large roasting pan and toss with the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and oregano.
• Season well with salt and pepper.
• Place the lamb over the potatoes.
• Roast, frequently basting both the lamb and the potatoes with the pan juices for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, for a well-done leg.
• Add a little water to the pan during baking if necessary to keep the pan juices from drying out.
• Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
• Keep the potatoes in the turned off oven until ready to serve.

GREEK ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON POTATOES

Steps:

• Place the leg of lamb on a cutting surface and trim most internal fat and any excess connective tissue. Do not trim much of the outside fat, however, as it imparts moisture and flavor to the rest of the cut. Spread the lamb as flat as possible and, with a sharp boning knife, make small cuts along the thicker parts of the meat as needed, so as to get an even thickness. This will make rolling easier later. You can also ask your butcher to butterfly it for you. Carefully score the meat on the inside, so that the herb mixture can seep in to all of the scorings and soak up all the flavor while roasting. Make sure not to score all the way down and cut the outer layer of meat - just small ¼" inch cuts on the inside only will do.
• Prepare the "wet" rub: In a small skillet set over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil and add the shallot, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Cook for two minutes and then add the oregano, pepper flakes salt & pepper and lemon zest. Cook for a couple more minutes (making sure not to burn the garlic) and then remove it from the heat and let it cool.
• Pour two thirds of the rub over the inner side of the butterflied lamb. Spread it all over the meat and push it into the scores you made. Carefully roll tightly into a log along the longest side. Tie the roll with some kitchen twine at 1½" intervals, to make sure it does not open up while roasting. Let it sit in the refrigerator (uncovered, so we get a crisp crust) for at least two hours or, even better, overnight. A longer stay with the rub will give the lamb a better flavor and texture.
• Take the lamb out of the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 275° F. Adjust oven rack to the lower middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Place the lamb on the baking sheet and transfer the sheet to the oven. Roast for about 1¼ to 1½ hours, depending on the thickness and the size of the leg or lamb. The best way to ensure proper doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest section of lamb - it should register between 130°F to 135°F, for a perfect pink center. Remove the lamb from oven and let it rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes.
• While the lamb is resting, increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Return the lamb to the oven and roast it for about 8-10 minutes or until the exterior is golden brown and crisp. Remove it from the oven, place it on a cutting board, and, let it rest for about 5-8 minutes. Remove the twine and slice the lamb into thin slices. Serve with roasted potatoes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Prepare the potatoes and place them in a glass or ceramic baking pan. Add the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, lemon, and water. Mix well and arrange the potatoes in a single layer. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. If necessary, add more hot water and gently mix once or twice during baking.
• Once the potatoes are cooked, place them under the broiler for 5 minutes to get some nice golden brown color. Serve at once.

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.

GREEK ROAST LAMB AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, mustard, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir the potatoes into the bowl to coat with orange juice mixture. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon, and place them into a large roasting pan.
• Cut slits into the lamb meat, and stuff the garlic cloves into the slits. Rub remaining orange juice mixture from bowl all over the lamb, and place the lamb on top of the potatoes in the roasting pan. If there's any remaining orange juice mixture, pour it over the lamb.
• Roast in the preheated oven until the potatoes are tender and the lamb is cooked to medium, about 1 hour. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Check every 30 minutes while roasting, and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hot water if you find the potatoes are drying out. If the lamb finishes cooking before the potatoes, remove the lamb to a cutting board or serving platter and cover with foil while the potatoes continue to bake in the oven.

ONE-PAN HERBY ROAST LAMB WITH LEMON, POTATOES & FETA

Steps:

• Take the lamb out of the fridge at least 1 hr before cooking to come to room temperature. Score the skin into 3cm diamonds using a sharp knife, but don't cut too deep.
• Cut the garlic bulb in half to expose the flesh of each clove. Set one half aside, then pop the cloves from the remaining half out of their skins. Put these in a small food processor along with most of the mint and parsley, the rosemary, lemon zest, preserved lemon and a large pinch of salt. Blitz the mixture together, or pound using a pestle and mortar, adding half the olive oil once the herbs have started to break down. Pour the marinade over the lamb, massaging it into the cuts. Leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 mins, or chill for up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the lamb in your largest roasting tin (you'll need space to add the potatoes later). Wrap well with foil and bake for 45 mins.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water. Set over a medium heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Drain and leave to steam-dry for 10 mins.
• Remove the lamb from the oven and lift onto a board. Drizzle the remaining oil into the roasting tin, then tip in the potatoes, fresh lemon slices and the remaining garlic bulb half, rubbing the cut side in the oil. Season and toss to coat the potatoes and lemon slices in the oil and lamb juices. Sit the lamb on top.
• Return to the oven for 35 mins more for medium (a thermometer should read 55C), or 50 mins for well done. Transfer the lamb to a warm platter, cover and leave to rest. Meanwhile, shake the potatoes around in the tin and return to the oven for another 20-25 mins, or until golden and crisp. Swirl the harissa paste through the yogurt.
• Roughly chop the remaining mint and parsley. Scatter the chopped herbs and feta over the potatoes. Carve the lamb and pour any roasting juices into the spiced yogurt, and mix through. Serve the lamb and potatoes with peas or spring greens, and the spiced yogurt sauce on the side for drizzling over.

GREEK ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9. Pound the garlic, half the oregano, lemon zest and a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar, then add the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Stab the lamb all over with a sharp knife, then push as much of the herb paste as you can into the holes.
• Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin, then toss in the remaining olive oil and any remaining herb paste. Nestle the lamb amongst the potatoes, roast for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Roast for 1 hr 15 mins for medium-rare, adding another 15 mins if you prefer your lamb medium. Baste the lamb once or twice with the juices and toss the potatoes. When the lamb is done to your liking, remove from the tin and let it rest. Throw the rest of the oregano in with the potatoes, scoop from the tin and keep warm.
• Place the roasting tin over a medium flame, add the canned tomatoes and olives to the pan juices, then simmer for a few mins. Serve the lamb with the potatoes and sauce and a simple salad.