It needed at least 6 hours. Place on a baking pan with a rack and roast for 3 ½ hours. Drizzle a little olive oil over the meat and place it straight back in the oven to colour. Wrap the actual meat in baking paper and then foil for best results. But Steve told us that he came from a long line of Stevens. It’s a firm favourite with my family. Do you think I could do this dish in the slow cooker with the lamb shoulder? It truly was a beautiful place. I love reading comments like yours! We soon found a favourite eating spot that came in shape of a walled garden with rickety tables, chairs and a ramshackle hut in the centre, from which a couple of wizened old men would grill meat on open flame or take cast iron pots out from their clay oven. Thanks I want to cook this next week and have a bone-in shoulder weighing 2.9kg. Txx, I didn’t see the bit about baking paper until i had already put inthe oven. Lamb kleftiko ingredients. I think we popped back there at least 4 times during our stay; to sample their souvlaki, gyros and oh so tender kleftiko. Thank you. Sarah x. Thats brilliant Sarah! Theo x, Hi theo, If using a large lamb shoulder leave it in the oven for an extra hour. Both will work fine. Point to remember – cut the tomatoes quite thick and use the majority on top of the meat; they will almost turn into sun dried tomatoes; very concentrated and rich… lovely! Can this be cooked in a slew cooker rather than the oven? I hope that helps an let me know if you need any other help! (Goes well with tzatziki!). ), potatoes, tomatoes, red pepper and red onions, bay leaves, salt & pepper. Once the 4 hours is up; remove the meat from the oven, turn the oven up to 200C degrees and let the wrapped meat sit for 20 minutes outside the oven. Equally, if you are going commando and not covering the meat then my gut feeling would be to baste it throughout to keep it moist. Thanks! Thank you so much for letting me know – always brings me a massive smile hearing that! Good luck and please do let me know how it turns out! Just takes a little bit longer, and higher temperature at the end. I used a leg and, whilst the flavours and aromas were lovely, the meat was dry and uninteresting. What sort of internal cooking tenperature are we looking for and would you recommend adding any fat/oil to the outside of the goat like lamb fat or suet before wrapping? It just smells amazing! Cathy, Thanks Cathy, I’m so pleased you enjoyed it! The birth of Lamb kleftiko; to avoid being caught they would dig a large pit and make a fire during the day when the flames wouldn’t be seen, eventually the fire would burn out leaving just the glowing embers. Let me know how your kleftiko turns out! Required fields are marked *. Hi Michelle, Lamb Kleftiko. **Please check your junk mail folder**, Subscribe and get new recipes and updates straight to your inbox. To be blunt, don’t bother. Hi theo The beast would be placed on top of the ashes, covered and in essence, slow cooked until the next day, by which time they would unearth the their feast and tuck in! If it’s any consolation I’ve tried it with the leg previously and it’s just too lean to keep it juicy… The leg is great for a traditional roast (or even cut up for souvlaki) but it does tend to dry out when slow cooked. Jan 26, 2017 - Delicious greek lamb recipes recipes from www.nonnascooking.com. Let me know how you get on! I will be serving the lamb with tzaziki along with rosemary potatoes. I look forward to seeing how it goes! It produces the rich flavor from the herbs used in the cooking process, like oregano, cinnamon stick, thyme leaves, and much more. So go figure. It’s now a firm special day favourite. Ainsley Harriott travels to the tiny Greek island of Alonissos in his search for the world's best al fresco recipes. Doing it for Easter. Our Location . Drizzle a good amount of olive oil into the bag along with juice from one lemon and shake and rub all over. We just used a mix of Australian hardwoods for the smoke. Some earplugs would help. The hotel we stayed at was idyllic. Rub the paste all over the lamb, pushing deep into the holes. I’m asking as it’s only me and I’m cooking for one! Yes, I’ll take that too. Simple and easy to make in your slow cooker or Instant Pot. Take a large roasting tray and line it with two lengths of strong foil, lying them over each other to create a cross. I’ve decided to do the kleftico in the oven, I watched your video on how to make it and it looked delicious, therefore I will make it the way it’s suppose to be made. Danny is a food adventurer, home grower, supper club host and writer of the entertaining and quirky epicurean blog, Food Urchin. The oven should be to temperature by now (about 200 degrees), so return the unwrapped meat to the oven for another 10-15 minutes (check it after 10 minutes – you want the meat to start to crisp but not burn). Thus I felt obliged to give my honest opinion… Obviously that’s just my opinion! Which is why either sacrifice a couple of potato slices on top of the meat (in between the meat and foil) or just a small patch of baking paper on top of the meat. I actually recently tested cooking goat shoulder. Uncover, … Fabulous! Pull the edges of the foil together to wrap and seal, trying to leave some space above the lamb for steam to circulate, Place in the oven and leave to slowly braise for 5 hours, after which time the meat should be falling off the bone. T. Hi theo The menu was simple, very simple. In essence this was the original slow cooked Greek lamb recipe (or slow cooked Cypriot lamb to be specific). We've just sent you an email with an activation link. **Please check your junk mail folder if not received yet*, 2 large ripe tomatoes cut into thick slices, Few heavy glugs of extra virgin olive oil, Tablespoon of dried oregano (preferably Greek of course! Drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle half the sliced onion, a bay leaf, some rosemary, some of the oregano, some of the tomato slices and a couple of slices of lemon and half the garlic. I also notice through the comments that greaseproof paper should have been used before the foil – I should have read all the comments first, although I used Turkey foil to ensure this wouldn’t leak during cooking. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously, Copyright © 2014-2020 Cujo Limited T/A TheoCooks.com. To cook the lamb, fire up the barbecue, or heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tx. I love lamb done in any way – its my ultimate meat. I love throw it all in recipes and this was easy to follow and georgeous As long as it’s sealed in foil it will be delicious and fall off the bone succulent! I didn’t add tomatoes as had none bit will next time. https://www.theocooks.com/kleftiko-slow-cooked-lamb-greek-style To find a more specific recipe, you can search for Lamb Kleftiko. The lamb was so tender and flavoursome! Your email address will not be published. Season well and place the meat on top. Season well and sprinkle the smoked paprika over the meat. Pop into the oven at 160C/330F for about 4 hours for a whole shoulder (about 3 hours for half a shoulder) – if in doubt – leave it in longer rather than less. It was absolutely perfect and an instant family favourite. There's nothing like fragrant leg of lamb flavoured with garlic, lemon and oregano to bring a Greek holiday to the table. I’m chuffed you enjoyed and really pleased! I’m going to cook this for friends on Saturday night, I can’t wait it looks amazing! Can’t wait to give it a try later. I’m so looking forward to making this dish, That’s great Carol, it’ll be wonderful! And I will never have a holiday like that again! Moreover, you can make this at home by merely following the easy recipe explained below. Would you still recommend 4 hours or longer? The family loved it for Easter. Then cut the foil wrap open at the top, peel away as much as possible and pour the juices into a saucepan to make some gravy. I’ve seen lots of recipes saying to use leg of lamb to slow cook. Could you do the wrapped part the day before then at room temperature maybe cook a little longer uncovered? Hi Elizabeth, I’m so sorry to hear that. , lamb in fridge marinated in your recipe with the addition of a little red wine over night. Can I just clarify, point 10, when lamb is returned uncovered to oven is it back in the rack with water below? I use leg cos it’s most easily available but still has enough fat on it to give it a full flavour. I also did the English thing and made a thick gravy with the juices. Plus there was also so much juice for mopping up with crusty bread too. What can I do to take me back to that moment in time though? Wonderfully fragrant lamb infused with lots of garlic, lemon juice and oregano. As an Aussie, I’ve tried making ‘Greek Lamb’ before and my Greek friends enjoy it but giggle and tell me its not ‘real Greek food’. He said it’s ready when it’s ready…, Hi Theo. Theo. for some time towards the end of the cook time whilst adding wood to the smoker to enhance that?Will let you know how it turns out. ), Teaspoon of smoked paprika (OK, not a traditional ingredient but I think it adds a little smokiness that is missed by cooking it in the oven). My first experience of Lamb Kleftiko was in the Troodos mountains, but minus the bandits. But….I am confused regarding the kleftiko lamb being wrapped in foil (btw cooking the recipe right now and so excited to eat the end result!) Simply amazing and so easy…I can’t wait to cook it again and again! I did a test run the week before just to make sure. The Kleftiko will come out delicious I’m sure! Theo, Prep the lamb day before & leave in your fridge. Best of luck for next time but thank you for letting me know how it went I’m sure other readers will also appreciate your comment aswell. Making it for the 2nd time in the slow cooker today. (Not until they’ve left home anyway and that is a long time coming . I’m so pleased you’ve been enjoying the Kleftiko dish! Theo. Hopefully it will still be as amazing as yours looks , Hi Selena, it will be wonderful! » Lamb Kleftiko Kleftiko is a true classic of greek cuisine and perfect for a late spring Sunday lunch. Served this with Greek green beans (cooked slowly with garlic and tomatoes) and roast potatoes with rosemary. We cooked the wrapped lamb shoulder in the oven for 4 hours, rested it for 20 minutes then unwrapped it completely and finished it off in the smoker for 20 minutes at about 200c with lots of smoke. Also, sorry to be a pain, to get a smokey/bbq flavour to the goat should we unwrap the goat (partially or fully?) So I’ve witnessed many cooks now wrapping there food in grease proof paper first ,then the foil . Orexi! I had no problems using a leg of lamb rather than shoulder. I hope you give it a try again with the shoulder and I promise it will be a whole new experience! The secret is to leave it to rest wrapped in foil for 20 minutes before unwrapping the top to brown again in the oven – enjoy! slow cooked mouth melting lamb shank in a clay pot with tossed potatoes and vegetables. https://www.compassandfork.com/recipe/cook-greek-lamb-enjoy-easter Once the 4 hours is up; remove the meat from the oven, turn the oven up to 200C degrees and let the wrapped meat sit for 20 minutes outside the oven. That’s brilliant – I’m so pleased you loved it! Also, thanks again for the tips following my questions. https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/meat-and-poultry/lamb-kleftiko Something went wrong - please contact us to get you started! If you have the meat in the fridge beforehand remove it about an hour before you want to cook it to bring it to room temperature then follow the recipe and you’ll be the talk of the town! So pleased you enjoyed it! I’ve amended my previous comment to make it clear. I’m going to try doing it with goat next. I have two 1.5kg boneless lamb shoulder’s for a dinner party of 6 can I use these for slow cooking Kleftiko and do I need to reduce the timings? Bring to the boil then pop into the slow cooker for 6-8 hours (or overnight on low). I haven’t got an answer for you but wanted to reply to let you know it was received.