Lamb Kleftiko - Slow Cooked Lamb & Potato Parcels
Recipe by Helen Tzouganatos
Ingredients:
1kg deboned lamb shoulder (roughly 1.6kg bone-in), excess fat trimmed, cut into large chunks
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
2 large waxy potatoes (such as Desiree or pontiac), cut into wedges
3 tomatoes, each cut into 4 wedges
150g kefalograviera cheese, cut into 3 cm cubes
Juice of 2 lemons
8 thyme sprigs
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced).
Place the lamb in a large shallow bowl and add the olive oil, garlic, oregano and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Massage the seasoning all over the lamb (you can marinate overnight if you wish).
Lay out four 20 cm x 50 cm sheets of baking paper on your workbench, then place another sheet on top in a criss-cross manner to create a double layer.
Divide the potato wedges equally between the parcels, season with sea salt, then sit the lamb on top, so the juices fall on the wedges when roasting. Divide the tomato and cheese equally among the parcels by scattering them around the lamb. Drizzle the lemon juice on each bundle and place two sprigs of thyme on the lamb.
Wrap up each parcel by folding the paper over the lamb and twisting the top to create a seal. Tightly secure with kitchen string (it is very important that no steam escapes).
Place the four parcels on a baking tray and bake for 2.5-3 hours. To check for tenderness, unwrap a parcel and pierce the lamb with a fork. The meat should be very tender, if not return to the oven for another 30 minutes. Transfer the parcels to individual dinner plates to serve.
