‘Stolen meat’: legend has it that the klephts, Greek bandits and freedom fighters from the time of Ottoman rule, cooked stolen lamb in sealed earth ovens so that the smoke wouldn’t give them away. The result is meat that falls off the bone, infused with lemon, garlic and oregano.
Kleftiko
Kleftiko
Method
01
Marinate
Make small incisions in the lamb with a small knife and push thin slices of garlic into them. Rub the meat with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and marinate, preferably overnight, in the fridge.
02
Prepare
Take the meat out of the fridge well before cooking. Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
03
Assemble
Lay a large sheet of baking parchment over a large sheet of aluminium foil (or use a roasting tin with a lid). Distribute the potatoes, peppers and onion on the parchment, lay the lamb on top with the squeezed lemon halves and the cinnamon stick. Pour the wine or water over the top.
04
Seal and cook
Fold the parchment and foil tightly and airtight over the top into a sealed parcel (or put the lid on the roasting tin). Cook for 3½ to 4 hours in the oven, until the meat falls effortlessly off the bone.
05
Finish
Carefully open the parcel (beware of the hot steam). Remove the cinnamon stick. If you like, scatter the cheese over the top and put back in the oven, open, for another 10 minutes to colour.
06
Serve
Serve straight from the parcel for the full effect, with the potatoes and vegetables alongside.
Tips & notes
The longer the meat marinates, the deeper the flavour; overnight is the minimum. No baking parchment and foil to hand? A roasting tin with a tightly fitting lid (or an extra layer of foil over the top) also works, as long as the steam can't escape. Keeps for 2–3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Variations
- Replace the cinnamon stick with 2 bay leaves for a less sweet, spicier note.
- Add 100 g of cherry tomatoes for the last 30 minutes for extra freshness in the sauce.
Contains:
Milk
Sulphites
Serve with
| Calories | 1288 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 74 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46 g |
| Fat | 86 g |
| Fibre | 9 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
