Shoulder of Lamb with Lemon, Garlic and Oregano
1) Firstly, clean your lamb using a damp paper towel. Remove any fat that you don’t want, but don’t remove too much because fat keeps the meat moist.
2) Preheat your oven to 200˚C.
3) Clean and peel the onions. Slice them about ¼ inch thick and assemble them on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them and drizzle olive oil. Place the lamb on top.
4) In a bowl, put the salt, pepper, oregano and garlic cloves (halve the garlic cloves as it is easier to insert). Generously sprinkle the seasoning over the lamb on both sides.
5) Using a sharp knife, make incisions all over the lamb. Insert the garlic cloves and a little rosemary into these incisions. Slice your lemons and place all over the lamb.
6) Cut the whole head of garlic in half and place halves in the baking dish.
7) Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the lamb.
8) Tear a sheet of baking paper large enough to cover your dish. Wet it under a tap, scrunch it up and cover your lamb as though the baking paper were a little blanket.
9) Cover the entire baking dish with foil and put it in the oven. For the first 30 minutes, bake it at 200˚C in a fan-forced oven. Then reduce your temperature to 150˚C and bake for a further 1 ½ hours.
10) Remove the foil and baking paper and bake the lamb uncovered for another 30 minutes.
Lemon Potatoes
1) Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
2) Halve the potatoes lengthwise then cut each half into two or three gondolas, depending on the size of your potatoes. Spread them onto the ovenproof dish.
3) Splash the lemon juice and olive oil over the potatoes, and sprinkle salt and pepper generously. Crush the oregano between your fingers, letting it fall over the potatoes. Sprinkle sweet paprika and turn the potatoes to coat well.
4) Dribble the water down the sides of the dish and give it a shuffle.
5) Roast for about 1 ½ hours until the potatoes are tender, melting and a bit golden here and there, with still a bit of sauce in the dish. You will need to turn and baste them every 20 minutes or so.
6) Serve hot and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Greek Salad
1) Slice the tomatoes and cucumbers. Try to make them all an even size.
2) Slice the red onion into thin rings and soak it in the lemon juice for about half an hour.
3) Assemble all the ingredients together in a bowl.
4) Sprinkle the oregano and finish off with the red wine vinegar, salt, and olive oil.
5) Mix well, then crumble feta cheese on top.
