Kleftiko
Slow cooked leg of lamb in a white wine sauce infused with garlic, onion, roast peppers and tomatoes.
The lamb is marinated in garlic, olive oil and lemon juice and then cooked wrapped in baking paper until very tender.
Served with potatoes and a green salad.
Click here for the downloadable recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 kg Leg of Lamb
1 tablespoon Vinegar
4 Cloves of garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup Fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Oregano, dried or 3 stalks fresh
½ cup Olive oil
2 Red onions, roughly chopped
1 Red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
1 Yellow bell pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
6 Potatoes, medium, peeled and quartered /baby potatoes
8 Baby tomatoes, halved
½ cup White wine
200g Feta cheese, cubed
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
4 sheets Baking paper
1 meter Kitchen string
METHOD
1. Wipe the lamb with paper towel dipped in vinegar and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Prepare the marinade by mixing the garlic, mustard, lemon juice, oregano and olive oil. 3. Pour over the lamb and cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight if possible.
4. Prepare the vegetables for the kleftiko: roughly chop the onions, slice the peppers, peel and quarter the potatoes and halve the baby tomatoes. Keep the vegetable separate until ready to assemble the kleftiko.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bring the lamb to room temperature.
6. Prepare to wrap the lamb in the baking paper. Using a large roasting tin, lay 4 sheets of paper over one another to form a star inside the dish. Place the potatoes, peppers and tomatoes in the center of the paper and season with salt and pepper and some fresh oregano.
7. Pour the marinade over the vegetables and place the lamb on top. Pour the white wine and season the meat with salt and pepper.
8. Enclose the lamb and vegetables into a pouch, by holding the baking paper from the edges, crosswise and bring the paper sheets to the middle above the meat and scrunch together. Use the string to tie the pouch and position in the middle of the roasting tin.
9. Roast the lamb for about 2 hours until tender. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 220°C. Open the lamb and scrunch the paper under the rim of the roasting tin. Baste the lamb with juices and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes until browned and tender.
10. Remove the lamb from the pan and cover in some foil to rest. Toss the vegetables in the pan and add the feta. Return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes until nicely coloured. Serve slices of the meat with the vegetables, a green salad and rustic bread.
