How To Bake Greek Roast Lamb

 How To Bake Greek Roast Lamb (ami psito) 

I remember as a child when Greek Easter came along, my mom would serve lamb for dinner. First we would go to the market the day before and purchase one leg (buti) of lamb with the bone not broken. She was so proud to make the purchase and to return home to prepare a delicious meal for her family.

Lamb has been the meat of sacrifice in Greece since time immemorial. They would sprinkle it with oregano and thyme that grew wild on the mountainside and prepare it with olive oil and lemon juice before roasting it over the fire.

Way back in time women were not allowed to prepare this meat. The men were the chefs and would step into the kitchen to prepare the meat properly. I am glad that over time some traditions have changed because I love to bake lamb in my own kitchen. It is my pleasure to share our family recipe with you. Yasou!

Just as spaghetti sauce tastes different in each village by the Italians, so it is with the Greeks. One thing that seems to be in common with lamb recipes is the garlic. Don’t skimp on the garlic, that’s for sure!

Greek roast lamb is served well with pasta, rice or potatoes. I enjoy a Greek salad as well with my meal. The secret is to bake the lamb in a very hot oven at first and then lower the temperature. I sincerely hope you enjoy this recipe and may happiness and joy surround your table.
Yasou!

Ingredients: 

1 leg of lamb (9 lbs. or larger)
3-5 to 12 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
1/2- 1 Tablespoon of salt
1/8 - 1/4 Teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon of oregano or more
1 Teaspoon of thyme
1 Tablespoon of spearmint flakes (optional) I use a little
2 Lemons, juice only
3 cups boiling water

Wipe meat and place in a shallow baking pan. With a small knife make four or more incisions all over and insert sliced cloves of garlic. Rub with salt, pepper, oregano and mint. Roast meat at 425 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and continue baking 2 hours longer, adding water in the pan. Add lemon juice the last half hour and baste lamb with juice. Skim some of the floating oil that accumulates in the pan and use the remaining liquid for gravy. If desired, remove the lamb from the pan and add parboiled potatoes, pasta or rice to juices in pan and continue baking the potatoes. Enjoy!


Barefoot Books offers:

The Adventures of Odysseus

Travel back in time to experience one of the greatest epic stories of all time. Once the Trojan war ended, Odysseus thought his journey home would begin. But what he assumed was the end of his adventure was truly only the beginning.

Also available in full-length story CD read by Hugh Lupton.

Ages 8 and up
Retold By: Daniel Morden, Hugh Lupton
Illustrated By: Christina Balit

 Dvd/Cd Sale $4.99 Was $19.99
http://ladyd.barefootbooks.com

Your comments are welcomed and encouraged! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your stay at Barefoot Books-LadyD