Greek Lamb with Potatoes

With the green on the hills from the winter rains, the time feels right for spring lamb.

Serves 6 persons: takes 5+ hours

INGREDIENTS

• 5-6 pounds bone-in leg of lamb
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Oregano: 3 Tbs. fresh or 1 Tbs. dried
• Salt
• Pepper
• 10-20 peeled garlic cloves, stuffed into slits cut into the meat
• Quartered russet or red rose potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper to taste enough to fill the pan when tucked around the lamb

METHOD

Wash the lamb; rub with oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and a good squirt of lemon juice. Place into roasting pan.

Roast the lamb at 300° for about five hours.

Baste throughout. Add water if the pan gets too dry. Work to achieve a good dry/wet balance throughout roasting.

Flip the lamb over halfway through the roasting period.

One hour before it’s due to finish roasting, add the potatoes to the pan and tuck around the lamb.

Serve with tzatziki sauce and grilled pita bread as well as a Greek salad with Kalamata olives, feta cheese, Romaine, cucumbers, olive oil, the best tomatoes, lemon juice, and Sherry or red wine vinegar.  If you wish, add some finely sliced red onion.