Arnaki psito ston fourno

Cuisine: Greek
Region: Epirus

A friend asked for this (all time oven classic) Greek recipe for a lamb roast in the oven, so, without further ado… voila! (And a heartfelt thanks! to Libby who passed on the recipe. 🙂 Enjoy!

Serves: 6 to 8
Cooking time: +75 min
You need: an oven pan

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb, approx. 1 + 1/2 to 2 Kg (about 3 to 4 Lbs),
• approx. 2.5 to 3 Kg (about 5 to 6 Lbs) of potatoes,
• 1/2 cup (glass) of extra virgin olive oil + a little more oil to coat the meat ( See Instructions),
• 1 + 1/4 cups (glasses) of hot water,
• 1 + 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard,
• 3/4 cup (glass) hot water (for the yellow mustard),
• 2-3 pinches of dry oregano,
• 4 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed but not cut,
• Juice of 2 lemons ,
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Turn on the oven to 200C (392F) and let it preheat while you prepare.
2. Wash the oven pan you’re going to use.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut them into wedges. (See Notes).
4. Squeeze the lemons, keep the juice and discard the pulp.
5. Wash the meat in cold water and pat-dry it with a paper towel.
6. Put the meat on the cutting board.
7. Use a sharp knife to make 4 incisions all around the meat, close to the bone.
8. Insert the garlic cloves into the incisions.
9. Smear the bottom of the pan with a little bit of olive oil – not more than 2 Tbsp.
10. Put the meat in the centre of the pan.
11. Rub some olive oil in your hands, and coat the meat with the oil on all sides. (Do not overdo it. You need the meat glistening, but not drenched in oil.)
12. Time for the seasoning: sprinkle the dry oregano on the meat and then salt and pepper it to taste.
13. Add the potatoes in the pan and arrange them around the meat.
14. Empty your 1/2 cup (glass) of extra virgin olive oil into the pan (but not on the meat).
15. Empty your 1 + 1/4 cup (glass) of hot water into the pan.
16. Pour the lemon juice on the meat and the potatoes alike.
17. Fill 3/4 of a glass with hot water, dilute the yellow mustard in it and then empty it on the potatoes, only.
18. Put the pan in the oven, on the lowest rack.
19. The food will be ready when the water has evaporated and there’s only olive oil gravy left in the pan.

Salad and Dessert

You might want to consider a green and light salad with this recipe, like spinach, fresh/green onion, arugula, dill, parsley, etc. A bit of oil and vinegar as dressing should be enough.

This dish is rich and hearty, so, when it comes to dessert, the suggestion is to go simple. E.g. a bit of Tahini Halva with Lemon Juice and Cinnamon will not only cleanse your palate but may also help with digestion.

Notes on Lamb Roast with Potatoes, Lemon Juice and Oregano in the Oven

• Check progress from time to time. Sometimes the meat cooks faster than the potatoes so, turn the meat over to cook on the other side too, if that’s what’s needed.
• The suggested cooking time is indicative and it largely depends on your oven: some ovens use convection, some not; some ovens retain the heat differently than other; etc..
• It generally takes around 60 min of cooking/roasting time per 1 Kg (2 Lbs) of meat, so, for 2 Kgs (4 Lbs) of meat you’re generally going to need approx. 120 min.
• Therefore, you might want to adjust the size of your potato wedges to the amount of meat you’re cooking: if you have 2Kgs (4 Lbs) of meat then you might want your potato wedges to be bigger than smaller, so that the potatoes don’t cook earlier than the meat and vice-versa. If you see that the meat is cooking faster than the potatoes you can always cover the meat with an aluminum sheet, or remove from the pan it when you think it’s done.
• You can scale the recipe down at will – it will still be delicious. 🙂