A Greek sort of meal

This meal is based on roast lamb but makes a change from an ordinary roast with vegetables. I like doing it because everyone puts their own combination together at the table so it’s a long and sociable meal, suitable for spring and summer. The flavour of houmous goes very well with lamb.

Slow Cooked Lamb

1 lamb shoulder

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Handful of rosemary

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 heads garlic separated & peeled

Juice of 1 lemon

2 long sheets baking paper

Pre heat the oven to gas mark 1/ 140’C
Lightly coat lamb in olive oil & sear in a hot frying pan to colour it
Lay 2 rectangles of baking paper across each other, in a roasting tin. Scatter with rosemary & pour a little olive oil in centre of paper & place the lamb on top. Dust the lamb with cinnamon. Place the garlic, underneath and over the joint. Pour on the lemon juice and more olive oil.
Place the paper around the lamb and seal by folding. Place roasting tin in oven for 5 hours. Uncover and turn up to gas 7 for 10 minutes.
The meat will be very tender. Keep warm for 10 minutes before carving.

Serve with warm pitta bread, Greek salad, green salad and houmous. People can fill the pitas with meat & salad or eat the bread on the side.

Houmous

Supermarkets sell very acceptable houmous but never as tasty & fresh as home made. Just blend the following ingredients – this makes quite a lot but it freezes.

Add the water last, according to consistency.

1 tin chick peas, rinsed

1 cupful tahini paste

1 cupful olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

a few mint leaves

4 cloves garlic
up to a cup of water

Greek Salad

Mix together the following ingredients

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

½ large cucumber, peeled & sliced

1 small tub kalamata olives

1 handful chopped parsley

1 chopped red onion

1 pack feta cheese cubed
1 tablespoon vinaigrette

A Greek Sort of Meal