Springtime lamb..

This is what we ate for dinner last night. EVERYONE loved it, including fussy Little Miss! It's not your usual roast lamb. The recipe comes from my favourite recipe book, Falling Cloudberries, and it has a distinct Greek flavour. It was honestly one of the most flavoursome dishes I have ever cooked. Simple and easy too.

Leg of Lamb with Oregano and Lemon

Serves 5-6
1.5kg leg of lamb (on the bone)
Juice of two lemons (if you don't like things overly lemon, I would use one lemon and some stock)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
50g butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 large potatoes

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Rinse and trim the lamb of any excess fat and put it in a large baking dish. Rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice, season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the oregano, crushing it between your fingers to cover the meat. Dot the butter over the top. Pour 250ml water around the lamb and drizzle the olive oil around it as well. Bake for about 15 minutes on each side, until it is browned all over.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into bite sized pieces. Scatter them in the baking dish around the browned lamb, add some salt and turn them over with a wooden spoon to coat them in the juice. Add a little more water if it has evaporated. Cover the baking tray with foil, lower the heat to about 160 degrees and bake for another 2 hours or so, turning the lamb over at least once during this time and shufflling the potatoes.

Serve on a huge platter with a salad or some simply cooked greens. This is also nice with some tzatziki on the side.

NB. This lamb will be well cooked and tender (not pink like some people prefer). If you prefer it to be less cooked, just reduce the cooking time. I served fresh green beans with ours and they were a perfect accompaniment. I also took Tessa's advice and served tzatziki with it. The lamb is crispy and crunchy on the outside with a tender inside, and the lemon juice caramelises the potatoes to perfection. It was scrumptious!

(Picture was scanned from Falling Cloudberries - A world of family recipes, by Tessa Kiros)