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Easter Greek Lamb Roast, gluten-free

Experience the exquisite Easter Greek Lamb Roast, known for its tender, melt-in-your-mouth quality that guarantees satisfaction. The succulent meat easily separates from the bone, providing a flavorful and juicy sensation. Plus, it only takes 10 minutes to prepare. This dish is not just gluten-free and dairy-free but also captures the authentic Mediterranean taste.

A little history:

The method of preparing and cooking lamb for Easter depends greatly on the family and what region of Greece they are from. One thing all regions have in common is the use of salt (and plenty of it), herbs, fresh lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Easter just wouldn’t be Easter without lamb being prepared and cooked.

Growing up we always had lamb on the spit which took a total of 8-10 hours to prepare and cook (depending on the lamb size). In fact this is by far my favourite way to eat lamb but let’s face it, it’s not convenient and most importantly, how many people own an electronic spit roaster? In the olden days, family members would take turns mechanically (by hand) rotating the lamb and this was an important ritual part of the Easter Feast. In fact, the men were responsible of taking care of the lamb while the women made the rest of the preparations.

Instead of showing you how Greeks roast a lamb on the spit, I am excited to share with you the way I have cooked my Easter Lamb Roast. In fact, whether it be for Easter or for a Sunday roast dinner, I cook my lamb the same way and we have enjoyed it for many years which I am sure now you will also.

Cooking meat Kleftiko-Style is to seal meat pieces in baking paper, like parcels, and cook them until the meat is so tender it falls off the bone. The word Kleftiko (translates to the word STOLEN) was supposedly used because (as the story is told), lamb was stolen from farms of the wealthy and cooked in deep pits to avoid detection of smoke or smell.

I have taken this idea and rather than sticking to cooking only small pieces of meat, I adapted it to cooking a whole lamb shoulder and I can guarantee you, you will be so excited about the way this turns out. I haven’t had a bad roast bake since I’ve cooked my lamb this way. In fact, it is now our traditional Easter Greek Lamb recipe. Enjoy!

Happy Creating and Cooking,

Margaret

Easter Greek Lamb Roast, gluten-free

Serves 6-8

Lamb:

2kg shoulder of lamb

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 rosemary springs, leaves removed

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Juice of 1 lemon

Potatoes:

1kg potatoes, washed and cut into wedges

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic granules

handful of rosemary leaves

sea salt and pepper, a generous amount

Instructions:

The Lamb:

Prepare the oven and tray: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced / 200°C conventional oven / 400°F and arrange a baking tray large enough to fit the lamb.
Laying the baking paper: Lay a long piece of foil (approximately 60cm) and a long piece of baking paper on the bench. Place the baking paper on top of the foil. Repeat this and place one set of foil and baking paper widthways and the other lengthways to form a cross. Place the lamb in the center of the cross where the foil and baking papers overlap.
Combine the herbs and spices and bake: In a bowl combine the fresh herbs, spices, and lemon juice to form a ‘paste’. Use this to rub and massage all over the lamb. Fold the baking paper over the lamb to completely enclose it and then fold over the two foils to wrap it tight like a parcel (see image below). Place into the baking tray and roast for 4 hours.
Bake till golden: Once the lamb is cooked, carefully open rip open the foil and baking paper, and place it back into the oven for 10 minutes to golden.

The Potatoes:

Prepare the potatoes and bake: An hour before the lamb is ready (ie. the lamb has been cooking for 3 hours), peel and slice the potatoes into thin wedges as seen in the images below, and add them to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with oregano, garlic, sea salt, rosemary leaves and pepper. Toss to combine well and spread out evenly. Place into oven on the rack above the roast and set a timer for 1 hour.

Serving:

Lemon juice: Once the lamb and potatoes are both baked, place them onto the table, and using two forks, pull apart and shred the lamb, or slice it into thick pieces. Squeeze a whole lemon over the top of both the potatoes and the lamb and serve immediately. Enjoy.