Lamb Kleftiko (Oven Baked Lamb with Herbs)l Honest Mum

Lamb Kleftiko (Oven Baked Lamb with Herbs).

Right here my Dad, George shares his recipe. Over to him.

Kleftiko actually means ‘stolen’ and the identify was derived in the course of the Ottoman Empire when Greek freedom fighters stole lamb, goats or sheep and cooked the meat in clay ovens or underground to get rid of smoke to not betray their positions. The lamb was cooked very slowly till it actually fell off the bone. Bake potatoes in the identical tray for further flavour.

Serves 4

Elements

• 4x 350g lamb items from leg or shoulder with the bone on
• 4x cloves of garlic minimize into slithers
• 125ml olive oil
• Juice of a giant lemon
• A small handful of recent oregano or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon floor cinnamon
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs of recent oregano
• Sea salt and freshly floor black pepper
• Garnish: sprigs of recent flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190 levels c/ 375 levels F/ Fuel 5
2. Make 3-4 slits in every bit of the meat in several positions and insert the garlic slithers within the slits. Combine olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and brush the entire of the meat with the olive oil and lemon juice combination. Sprinkle the dried oregano and floor cinnamon on either side of the lamb.
3. Place the lamb in a foil massive sufficient to make a parcel. Place a bay leaf, 1 sprig of oregano, 2 pinches of salt and a pair of pinches of floor pepper on high of the lamb and wrap up lamb with foil however not too tightly. Place parcels in a tray or a big oven proof dish crammed with water 1/3 of the best way up.
4. Place the tray within the oven and prepare dinner for 1 hour, then scale back the oven temperature to 170/Fuel Mark 3 and prepare dinner for an extra 90-120 minutes, turning over a couple of times. Verify if meat is tender by inserting a skewer in the midst of the meat and if it slides simply, the meat is prepared.
5. Serve on heat plates, garnished with sprigs of recent flat-leaf parsley, accompanied with roast potatoes, crusty bread and a recent, crisp Greek salad.