The first time I met my mother-in-law, it was at her house for dinner. She had cooked us all a Greek feast. The smells in the house were absolutely delicious! On the dining table there was a beautiful roasted leg of lamb with potatoes cooked in their lamb juices, a Greek salad, a huge loaf of fresh shepherds bread, and on a platter was a big hunk of feta cheese surrounded by calamata olives.
As my husband, his six brothers, Papa’ and myself sat down to eat her glorious meal, Mama proceeded to sit, by herself, in a chair in the corner of the dining room. I turned to my husband and whispered, “Why is Mama’ sitting in that chair and not eating with us at the table?” He replied nonchalantly, “Oh, she always does that. During the war, in Greece, there was never enough food. So, she’d always be sure the family was fed first and if there was anything left over, she’d eat.” Then, he and his six brothers and Papa’ chowed-down on her fabulous feast, while she sat by herself in the chair in the corner. That was the introduction to my new Greek mother-in-law.
Roast Leg of Lamb
Recipe by: Bobbi Jo Lathan
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 4
PREP TIME
15 mins
COOK TIME
2 hours
TOTAL TIME
2 hours 15 mins
INGREDIENTS
1 Leg of lamb
8 cloves Garlic
11⁄2 cups Water
1 Lemon (fresh-squeezed)
Fresh dill (optional)
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Place leg of lamb in a big baking pan or dish.
Use a sharp knife and cut little holes into the lamb all over.
Place the fresh (cleaned) garlic in the slits.
Sprinkle lamb with salt, pepper and garlic powder. (And optional Fresh dill)
Add water to the pan and 1⁄2 the squeezed lemon (save the other half for the potatoes).
Bake uncooked in the 350° F oven for about 2 hours. If it gets too browned on top, place a piece of aluminum foil over the lamb and keep baking.
When the lamb is done, take it out of the oven and place on a cutting-board or platter to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
NOTES
Don’t waste all those beautiful lamb juices! If you'd like, serve the lamb with roasted potatoes (check out my Easy Oven-Baked Lemon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes recipe and follow instructions #6 - 10) or you can also substitute orzo pasta for potatoes. (Just follow the instructions on the pasta package for cooking times.)
My in-laws…………….. “Mama” and “Papa” in her Greek Kitchen……………..
