Traditional Greek Roasted Lamb and Potatoes

Every year my family celebrates Easter twice as, more often than not, Orthodox Easter does not coincide with Western Easter.  This year, they fall four weeks apart and this coming Sunday we will be celebrating Greek Easter.  What better occasion than that to share with you all the recipe for Traditional Greek Roasted Lamb and Potatoes.

When it comes to planning that special Easter meal, roast lamb is always the meat of choice for Greeks.  Although many associate this with images of slowly cooking a whole lamb on the spit on Easter Sunday, there is an easier way to  enjoy this truly mouth-watering delicacy at home on a much smaller scale!

Which lamb cuts are best for roasting

The most common lamb cuts for roasting are the leg and the shoulder.  By far, the most flavorful and juicy cut is the lesser used of the two, the shoulder.  Literally foolproof and hard to mess up, lamb shoulder is very forgiving provided we cook it the right way, low and slow.  Lamb shoulder has a little more fat that melts away during the low and slow cooking, leaving the meat succulent and super juicy.

How to choose your lamb

If possible, and if you are in the U.S., choose American young lamb for great flavor.  If you prefer more of a gamey taste, then lamb from New Zealand is the way to go. Shoulder cuts usually come bone in, so keep the bone in, as it will add lots of flavor to your roast.

Aromatics & Flavor Builders 

Every cut of meat which cooks low and slow will benefit from an olive oil rub, simple seasonings, and a good marinade.  Garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano and lemon zest are classic flavor combinations that go so well with lamb and help build an incredible flavor as it roasts!

Ingredients for the Traditional Greek Roasted Lamb and Potatoes

Besides the aromatics and the lamb shoulder, we will need some Yukon Gold potatoes, a lemon, salt, pepper, oregano and, you guessed it, more extra virgin olive oil!

Flavor the lamb with garlic & rosemary

This is an important step: make small incisions all over the lamb and insert slivers of garlic and some of the rosemary.  This will ensure that, while the lamb marinates, we build flavor in the inside of the lamb and not only the surface of the meat.

This is an easy recipe to follow, especially for those cooking lamb for the first time.  This lamb roast will take some time to cook with the low and slow method, so keep that in mind when planning this meal.  The hardest part of all is smelling all the wonderful aromas coming from your oven and having the patience to wait for it to be ready!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Traditional Greek Roasted Lamb and Potatoes

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

3 hours

Total time

3 hours 20 mins

 

A traditional and very flavorful Greek recipe for Easter and any Springtime family meal!

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Main course

Cuisine: Greek

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3.5 lbs. lamb shoulder (bone in)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsps. sea salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 8 med. garlic cloves, divided into half slivered and half minced
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
• 4 springs fresh thyme
• 2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
• --- zest of one lemon
• For the potatoes:
• 2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & quartered
• 1½ tsps. sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
• Juice of 1 medium lemon
• ½ cup water or chicken stock, hot (if needed)

Instructions

1. Pat dry the lamb using paper towels and place it in a roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, make several incisions in the lamb and insert the slivered garlic and half of the rosemary leaves.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, salt, pepper, the other half of the garlic (minced), the other half of the rosemary (chopped), thyme, oregano and lemon zest. Pour the marinade over the lamb making sure to cover it on all sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. 30 minutes before you are ready to roast the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and turn on the oven to 450°F.
4. Wrap the lamb and its marinade well with parchment paper (not wax paper) and then with aluminum foil (this will ensure that all the juices stay with the meat and do not leek.) If you do not have parchment paper, use two layers of foil instead. Place the roasting pan with the lamb in the middle rack of the oven, cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 360°F. Roast for 2 hours.
5. While the lamb roasts, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then in quarters. If the potatoes are large, cut each quarter in half again. Place them in a medium bowl and toss them with the salt, pepper, oregano, and lemon juice.
6. After two hours, remove the roast from the oven, open the wrapping carefully and check it. At this point, the bone should be loose and starting to come away from the meat. If it is not, cover the lamb again, return it to the oven, and roast for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Uncover the lamb; there should be about a cup of its juices in the pan. If there is not enough liquid, add enough hot water to make about 1 cup. Scatter the potatoes around and under the lamb and return the pan to the oven for about 20-30 minutes until the skin of the lamb is brown and crisp (cover loosely with a piece of foil if the lamb becomes too dark before this time).
8. At this point, remove only the lamb from the roasting pan and transfer it to a platter. Cover it loosely with some foil and let it rest for 20 minutes. Continue roasting the potatoes for another 15 minutes, or so, until they become soft and have a nice golden color. There should be still plenty of juice in the pan.
9. To serve, spoon some pan juices over the lamb, divide it in four portions and serve it alongside the lemon potatoes. Garnish with some lemon slices and enjoy with a glass of Merlot.

3.5.3240

Happy Easter to everyone who is celebrating Easter this Sunday – Kalo Pascha to all my Greek friends! 

Greek Easter Bread (tsoureki)

Greek Easter Cookies (Paschalina Koulourakia)

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