Lamb Kleftiko Recipes

LAMB KLEFTIKO

Steps:

• Crush together the garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the herbs, lemon zest, cinnamon, some black pepper, crush a little more, then stir through 2 tbsp of the olive oil.
• Using a sharp knife, create lots of holes all over the lamb, and rub in the paste, pushing it deep into the holes. Transfer the lamb to a large food bag, pour in the lemon juice and marinate overnight.
• The next day, take the lamb out of the fridge 1 hr before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Lay 2 long pieces of baking parchment on top of 2 long pieces of foil - one widthways, the other lengthways to form a cross. Pop the potatoes in the centre of the parchment and toss with the remaining oil and some seasoning. Bring up the sides of the foil, then pour the marinade from the lamb over the potatoes and throw in the bay leaves.
• Set the lamb on top of the potatoes and scrunch the foil together tightly to completely enclose the lamb. Lift into a roasting tin and roast in the oven for 4½ hrs until very tender.
• Remove tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Unwrap the parcel and scrunch the foil and parchment under the rim of the tin, baste the lamb with the juices and return to the oven for a further 20 mins until browned. Remove the lamb from the tin, wrap in foil and rest.
• Turn the potatoes over and return to the oven for 30 mins, then season with salt. While the potatoes are cooking, stir together all the ingredients for the yogurt.
• Combine the red wine vinegar, oil and some seasoning to make a dressing for the salad. Toss together the remaining salad ingredients, adding the dressing when you're ready to eat. Serve the lamb with the potatoes and meaty juices, with the salad and yogurt on the side.

LAMB KLEFTIKO RECIPE (GREEK LAMB COOKED IN PARCHMENT PAPER)

Steps:

• To prepare this Greek lamb kleftiko recipe, start by washing thoroughly the lamb and cut into portions (approx. 5*6 cm). Place in a large bowl or basin and set aside.
• Prepare the vegetables for the lamb kleftiko. Cut the onions in half and then in four wedges. Cut the peppers in 2-3 cm chunks and slice 2 cloves of garlic. Add the vegetables in the bowl with the lamb and pour in the olive oil, white wine and lemon juice. Add the mustard, 2 whole cloves of garlic, sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to blend all the ingredients together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, chill and let marinade for at least 2 hours. It's best to leave the meat for the lamb kleftiko marinade overnight, to soak up all the wonderful flavours.
• Once the meat for the lamb kleftiko is marinated, return the lamb at room temperature. In the same bowl add the cheese (cut into 2cm cubes) and blend. Preheat the oven to 180C.
• To prepare the potatoes for this lamb kleftiko recipe, peel the potatoes and cut in four pieces. (The lamb kleftiko will require about 2 1/2 hours baking, so it's best to cut the potatoes in large pieces, to keep their shape.)
• Now it's time to wrap the lamb kleftiko in parchment paper. Lay 4 long pieces of parchment paper to form a star. Pop the potatoes in the centre of the parchment paper and season with salt and a pinch of oregano. Pour the marinade from the lamb over the potatoes and set the lamb and vegetables on top of the potatoes. Layer with the sliced tomato and enclose the lamb kleftiko into a pouch. To enclose the lamb kleftiko hold the parchment paper from the edges, crosswise and grab with your hand in the middle, just above the stuffing and squeeze. Use the kitchen string to tie tightly the whole thing together, just above the stuffing and lift into a roasting tin.
• Roast the lamb kleftiko in the oven for about 1 hour 45 minutes until tender. Remove the tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 220C. Unwrap the lamb kleftiko and scrunch the parchment paper under the rim of the tin. Baste the lamb with the juices and return in the oven for a further 20 mins until browned. Remove the pieces of lamb from the pouch and wrap them in some foil to rest. Toss the potatoes and return in the oven for about 20 minutes, until nicely coloured.
• Return the lamb pieces in the roasting tin and serve the lamb kleftiko as it is. Enjoy!

KLEFTIKO-STYLE LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Put the lamb shanks in a large bowl with the garlic, rosemary, thyme, dried oregano, cinnamon, bay leaves, lemon juice (drop in the juiced halves as well), and olive oil. Season well, then toss everything together. If you have time, chill overnight.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Tip the potatoes and peppers into a large roasting tin, then pour over the wine. Remove the lamb from the marinade and set aside, then pour the leftover marinade over the veg. Toss to combine, then arrange the lamb on top of the veg. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 2 hrs 30 mins. Remove the lamb from the tin, turn all the veg over, then turn the lamb over and return to the tin on top of the veg. Drizzle over a little more oil, if the tin seems dry. Bake for 30 mins more, uncovered, until the lamb is falling off the bone and the potatoes are golden around the edges. Leave to rest for 5 mins, then scatter over the feta and fresh oregano, if using.

LAMB KLEFTIKO: GREEK LAMB COOKED IN PARCHMENT PAPER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 °F, 190 °C.
• Criss-cross 2 (full sheet) pieces of parchment paper into a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
• If you cannot find very large sheets of parchment, just use 4-5 half-sheet pieces and overlap them.
• Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.
• Place the potatoes on the parchment paper to create a bed at the bottom of the pan.
• Pour 2-3 tablespoons of the marinade over the potatoes. Season them with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
• Add the diced peppers and onion to the pan.
• Place the meat in a pan or a bowl (if it is cut into chunks) and pour the marinade over it. Season with the spice and salt. I usually use ¾-1 teaspoon salt per pound of meat.
• Rub the marinade and spices all over the meat and place the meat over the potatoes, in the pan. Add the whole garlic cloves to the pan.
• Fold the parchment paper over the meat to create a package. Secure it with 3-4 pieces of kitchen twine. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 3 hours or until the meat is very soft.
• Increase the oven's temperature to 475 °F, 250 °C.
• Remove the foil and butcher's twine from the pan and parchment package.
• Uncover the top layer of parchment and tuck it into the sides of the pan.
• Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the tomatoes and season the lightly with some salt and dried oregano. Sprinkle the tomatoes into the pan along with the feta cubes.
• Roast uncovered 15-20 minutes or until the meat browns a little.
• Serve with a salad and toasted bread. Enjoy!

GREEK LAMB KLEFTIKO

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a small bowl and rub over the lamb.
• Season the lamb liberally with salt and pepper transfer into a lidded container and store in the fridge overnight.
• Take the lamb out of the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the slow cooker (this will speed your cooking time considerably) while you prepare the lamb.
• Heat a large non-stick frying pan and sear the lamb over high heat on all sides until nicely browned. Set aside.
• Add the potatoes and onion to the pan and fry, stirring, over high heat until the potatoes are starting to colour a little. Deglaze the pan with splash of the wine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the potatoes to your slow cooker. Add the cinnamon stick, lemon slices and bay leaves.
• Top with the seared lamb. Pour the wine, stock and vinegar over the lamb.
• Cook on low setting for 7-8 hours, or until the lamb is tender if pierced with a knife and falling off the bone.
• If you wish to brown the lamb for some colour (this is optional) place under a hot grill for about 5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes, loosely covered.
• Shred or carve the lamb into portions and serve over the potatoes sprinkled with a little feta cheese, garnished with the fresh herbs and with extra lemon wedges on the side.

KLEFTIKO

Steps:

• Place the lamb in a large dish and drizzle with plenty of olive oil. Season generously and sprinkle over the oregano and bay leaves. Peel two garlic cloves and cut each into four pieces. Using a sharp knife, pierce the lamb eight times and poke in the garlic. Rub the herbs and oil into the lamb, then cover and place in the fridge overnight.
• Take the lamb out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Line a large roasting tin or baking dish with greaseproof paper, ensuring there is enough of an overhang to crimp the edges (you might need to fold two pieces together lengthways to ensure it is wide enough).
• Roughly crush the remaining unpeeled garlic cloves with the flat of a heavy knife. Put the potatoes, onions, tomatoes and garlic in the roasting tin and poke in the cinnamon stick and oregano sprigs, if using.
• Put the lamb on top of the veg and spoon over the marinade from the bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the lamb and pour the wine into the bottom of the tin. Take another large sheet of greaseproof paper and wet it under running water. Squeeze out excess water and lay over the lamb, crimping the edges of paper together with the pieces underneath to seal completely. Place in the oven and leave it, untouched, for 4½ hours until the lamb is cooked and very tender.
• Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes, then serve with all the vegetables and juices from the roasting tray.

MY EASTER LAMB KLEFTIKO

Steps:

• Remove the fat from the lamb. Make cuts into the meat and push slices of garlic inside.
• To make the marinade, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Massage the marinade into the meat thoroughly, then cover the piece of meat with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180℃/356°F.
• Take the lamb out of the fridge an hour before cooking and let it get to room temperature.
• Place the meat in a large earthenware dish. Add water and cover with the lid or kitchen foil. Place the dish on the bottom shelf of the preheated oven and cook it for 2 hours. Turn the lamb and pour juice from the bottom of the oven dish over the meat. Add a little bit of water to the juice if getting too thick.
• Halfway cooking, remove the lid and continue roasting the meat uncovered until caramelised on top.
• Take the meat out of the roasting dish, place it on your serving plate. Pour the juices on the top of the meat, cover with foil and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Serve with a side of your choice. Recommended sides for this roasted lamb are roasted potatoes and a fresh Greek salad.