We’ve added a touch of English tradition to this Greek classic, with a spoonful of mint jelly in the gravy, which balances the herby juices, but you could use honey instead for a touch of sweetness for a more authentic finish.
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Yields:
6 serving(s)
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
4 hrs 55 mins
Total Time:
5 hrs 20 mins
Cal/Serv:
603
Ingredients
8
garlic cloves, crushed
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon, keep separate
2Tbsp.
dried oregano
1/2tsp.
ground cinnamon
2Tbsp.
olive oil
2
kg whole lamb leg
4
fresh or dried bay leaves
FOR THE GRAVY
500ml
hot chicken or lamb stock
2Tbsp.
cornflour
1Tbsp.
mint jelly
Directions
Step 1In a small bowl, mix the garlic, lemon zest, oregano, cinnamon, oil and plenty of seasoning.
Step 2On a work surface, put 2 large, overlapping pieces of kitchen foil, big enough to completely enclose the lamb. Arrange 2 pieces of baking parchment of the same size on top. Pat lamb dry and sit in the centre of the parchment, along with the bay leaves. Make a dozen or so deep cuts in the meat all over with the point of a sharp knife. Use a teaspoon (or finger) to push the garlic mixture into the cuts, then rub the rest all over the leg. Fold up foil and parchment loosely around the lamb, place in a roasting tin just large enough to hold it and marinate in the fridge for at least 8hr, or overnight.
Step 3Remove lamb from the fridge 1hr before cooking. Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan) mark 3. Open up foil and parchment slightly, pour lemon juice over the lamb, then tightly scrunch the edges of the foil together to make a sealed parcel. Roast for 4½hr, until very tender.
Step 4Remove tin from oven and increase temperature to 220°C (200°C) mark 7. Carefully peel back foil and parchment and baste lamb with the juices. Return to oven for 20min, or until browned.
Step 5When the lamb is ready, remove to a serving board or platter, tightly cover with foil and leave somewhere warm to rest for 30min. To make the gravy, pour juices from the tin into a pan (discard bay leaves), and skim off excess fat. Add the stock and bring to the boil over high heat. In a small bowl, mix cornflour with 1-2tbsp cold water to a smooth paste, then whisk into pan and bubble until thickened. Remove from heat, whisk in the mint jelly; check seasoning. Serve with the lamb.
GET AHEAD Marinate the lamb (to end of step 2) up to 2 days ahead.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
