Leg of Lamb With Oregano and Lemon
from "Falling Cloudberries" by Tessa Kiros The recipe introduction in the book says, "Ths is possibly one of my favorite meals. It is soft, wonderful, and meltingly lemony and we would sometimes eat the leftovers for breakfast before school. I'm not sure if this is totally the Greek way of making it--maybe the butter and cooking time are my mother's addition--but this is how it is. My mother says you could cook it overnight; I never have, but I believe her."
INGREDIENTS
Nutrition- 3 3⁄4
- 2lemons, juice of
- 1tablespoon dried oregano
- 3 1⁄2tablespoons butter
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 4large potatoes
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Rinse and trim the lamb of excess fat and put it in a large baking pan. Rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice, season well with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the oregano, crushing it between your fingers to cover the meat. Dot the butter over the top. Pour 1 cup of water around the lamb and drizzle the olive oil around it as well.
- Bake for about 15 to 30 minutes on each side, until it is browned all over.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-size pieces. Scatter them in the baking pan around the browned lamb, add some salt, and turn them with a wooden spoon to coat them in the juices. Add a little more water if it has evaporated.
- Cover the baking dish with foil, decrease the heat to 350 F, and bake for 2 1/2 hours or so, turning the lamb over at least once during this time and tossing the potatoes. If the lamb isn't browned enough, remove the foil for the final 30 minutes of cooking.
- Serve warm on a platter with salad, or simply cooked greens. Serve tzatziki on the side.