Take a trip to the Med with this luscious Greek leg of lamb. To go with it? Roast potatoes of course – but no ordinary roasties, these are made extra special with the addition of lemon, feta and parsley! Add a green salad with peppery leaves like rocket and watercress as well and you have yourself an autumnal feast.
Start by preparing the leg of lamb. Simply slice the garlic cloves lengthwise into matchsticks. Use a thin sharp knife to slice narrow deep pockets all over the leg of lamb and insert a slither of garlic into each pocket. Drizzle the leg of lamb with olive oil and dust all over with Cape Herb & Spice Greek Style Lemon & Herb Rub.
Add the chopped vegetables to a roasting dish (one with a fitted roasting rack). Place the leg of lamb on the rack. Roast in a pre-heated 200 degree Celsius oven until done to your liking. (Cook’s note: the only way to really know what’s going on inside a roast is to read the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Simply insert it in the thickest part of meat. For medium rare lamb with a generous hint of pink, aim for an internal temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. For medium lamb with just the merest blush, aim for 65 degrees Celsius. Remember that lamb continues cooking while it rests.)
Remove the lamb from the oven and cover with tinfoil to rest. The veggies in the bottom of the roasting tray make an ideal base for lovely gravy. Simply place the roasting tray on the hob, add 250ml water and bring it to the boil, stirring to release any lovely burnt on bits – it’s pure flavour! Pour the liquid through a colander to remove the veggies and return the liquid to the roasting tray. Stir in the cornflour and boil it to thicken. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Add any resting juices from the lamb to the gravy.
To make the roast potatoes, parboil the potatoes in lightly salted water for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander and allow to stand for five minutes to air dry. Place potatoes on a baking sheet, pour over the olive oil and toss to ensure the potatoes are thoroughly coated. Dust potatoes with 15ml Cape Herb & Spice Greek Style Lemon & Herb Rub, tuck the lemon wedges in between the potatoes and roast in a pre-heated 200 degree Celsius oven for 45-60 minutes until golden, tossing once or twice during cooking. Plate up the roast potatoes then crumble over feta cheese and scatter over parsley.
Add the chopped vegetables to a roasting dish (one with a fitted roasting rack). Place the leg of lamb on the rack. Roast in a pre-heated 390 degree F oven until done to your liking. (Cook’s note: the only way to really know what’s going on inside a roast is to read the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Simply insert it in the thickest part of meat. For medium rare lamb with a generous hint of pink, aim for an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. For medium lamb with just the merest blush, aim for 150 degrees F. Remember that lamb continues cooking while it rests.)
Remove the lamb from the oven and cover with tinfoil to rest. The veggies in the bottom of the roasting tray make an ideal base for lovely gravy. Simply place the roasting tray on the hob, add 1 cup water and bring it to the boil, stirring to release any lovely burnt on bits – it’s pure flavour! Pour the liquid through a colander to remove the veggies and return the liquid to the roasting tray. Stir in the cornflour and boil it to thicken. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Add any resting juices from the lamb to the gravy.
To make the roast potatoes, parboil the potatoes in lightly salted water for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander and allow to stand for five minutes to air dry. Place potatoes on a baking sheet, pour over the olive oil and toss to ensure the potatoes are thoroughly coated. Dust potatoes with 1 tsp Cape Herb & Spice Greek Style Lemon & Herb Rub, tuck the lemon wedges in between the potatoes and roast in a pre-heated 390 degree F oven for 45-60 minutes until golden, tossing once or twice during cooking. Plate up the roast potatoes then crumble over feta cheese and scatter over parsley.