Cypriot Slowed Cooked Lamb/Goat

This is a recipe from a friends Cypriot Nanna - sorry don't remember the proper name for it. This is just 1 version often the main spice is cumin but I like this version best. The family had an outside traditional wood burning oven so she would usually make 3-4 legs of meat at a time and invite friends and family over. I have cut it down to serve 6. If using goat you may need 2 legs as kid legs are usually only small. I don't know whether the addition of the cheese was a family querk but that is how she made it. I have been told by other Cypriots that adding the cheese is not right.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 kg leg of lamb
• 1 (450 g)  tomatoes, crushed
• 1  cup water
• 1  kg potato, peeled
• 500  g green beans
• 15  allspice, whole
• 2  garlic cloves
• 4  bay leaves
• 1  cup white wine
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
•  salt and pepper
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  risoni
• 200  g  kefalotyri, cubed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Slice the garlic cloves into slivers and with a sharp knife make slits in the joint and push in a sliver of garlic. Repeat until you have used all the garlic.
3. Rub salt and pepper into the joint. Place in a large baking dish and drizzle with the oil and white wine. Stick the bay leaves around the joint. Place in oven and cook for 10 mins then turn down oven to 180C and cook for 30 mins basting ocassionally.
4. In the mean time peel the potatoes and cut into serving size if the they are very large. Top and tail the bean but don't cut them.
5. Heat the crushed tomatoes adding the sugar, water and pimento berries.
6. Remove baking dish from oven add the hot tomatoes along with the potatoes and beans. Return to the oven and cook for 1 hour.
7. Again remove the baking pan from the oven and scatter around the risoni pushing it down into the sauce. Scatter the cheese.
8. Cook a further 20-30 mins testing that the risoni is cooked through.
9. Remove from the oven and lift out the joint and rest for 10 mins before carving.
10. Put the baking pan back in the oven to keep warm while meat is resting.
11. Plate up and serve with crusty bread.