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All around the world this weekend, Christian families and friends will gather together to celebrate Easter Sunday with a feast of magnanimous proportions. For those who didn’t know, Easter is the day that symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The day marks rebirth and the beginning of the spring season. Easter is also the first big Christian holiday of the year, so a feast is definitely called for! And there’s no better centerpiece for such an Easter feast than this Greek Roast Leg of Lamb.
Lamb is traditionally cooked and served during Easter because it symbolizes sacrifice, purity and goodness. The Greeks as well as the Italians have a tradition of serving up a whole leg of lamb during Easter because it boasts of largesse and sharing. There are plenty of ways to roast a whole leg of lamb, but this Greek Roast Leg of Lamb stands out because of two main reasons.
Video courtesy: YouTube/Dimitra's Dishes
Firstly, this Greek Roast Leg of Lamb is slow cooked for hours and hours, until the meat falls off the bone. The method ensures that the whole lamb leg is tender, juicy, perfectly cooked and worthy of a feast. Secondly, the flavours of this Greek Roast Leg of Lamb are outstanding. Many recipes call for the use of heavy spices and red wine, which makes the feast itself too heavy. This recipe, however, screams of the flavours of garlic, herbs and white wine—the sauce is therefore much lighter and the dish itself isn’t too rich despite being festive.
Perhaps the most interesting point in favour of this Greek Roast Leg of Lamb is that it is quite hassle-free and easy to make. While you do need to clean the leg properly and prepare the marinate, the slow cooking process is done entirely in the oven. So, no slaving over a stove is needed. This Greek Roast Leg of Lamb pairs really well with roast potatoes and a simple Greek salad, served with some freshly baked rolls. Here’s the easy recipe for this Greek Roast Leg of Lamb for you to try at home.
Image courtesy: Pixabay
Ingredients:
1 whole leg of lamb
2 onions, quartered
10 garlic cloves
3 tsp paprika powder
3 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup thyme
¼ cup rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
3 bay leaves
½ cup lemon juice
1.5 cups white wine
2 cups chicken broth
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Preheat the oven at 220 degrees for 15 minutes.
2. Wash, clean and pat dry the whole leg of lamb.
3. Use a knife to make small incisions all over the lamb leg.
4. Place the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, onion powder and olive oil in a large bowl.
5. Mix well, then drizzle the spices all over the lamb and rub them in.
6. Place the lamb in a large roasting pan, then roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 240 degrees.
7. Remove the lamb, turn it over, then roast again at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.
8. Place all the remaining ingredients in the roasting pan with the lamb leg and mix well.
9. Cover the pan with two layers of foil and roast at 150 degrees for 2 hours.
10. Take the pan out, turn the lamb over and roast again with the cover for an hour.
11. Check the lamb leg now to see if the meat can be pulled apart with a fork.
12. If it can, then remove onto a serving platter. If not, cook for another half an hour and check again.
13. Strain the roasting liquid into a jug. Remove the fat from the top and adjust the salt, pepper and lemon juice before serving the juices as a gravy with the roast leg of lamb.
