Greek Lemon Lamb

Photo: flickr user roland

Ingredients

1 shoulder of lamb weighing about 2kg 150ml dry white wine

150 ml vegetable stock or water

1 tablespoon whipping or double cream (optional)

2 lemons grated zest and juice

5 sprg fresh thyme

1 tablespoon rosemary freshly chopped

1 tablespoon oregano or parsley freshly chopped

2 clv garlic crashed

1 salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons flour

Preparation

Aga equipment:large roasting tin with low rack on second set of runners in roasting oventhen second set of runners in simmering oven

Mix together all the ingredients for the crust.

Place the lamb in the prepared roasting tin.

Score the fat extravagantly with a sharp knife taking care not to cut right down into the meat.

Smear a little of the paste on to the underside of the shoulder then turn the joint over and rub the remainder well into the fat.

Cook in the roasting ovenfor 30 minutes and then for a further 2 1/2 hours in the simmering ovenuntil the juices run clear.

Stand the lamb for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

To make the gravy drain away any excess fat from the roasting tin then add the wine and bring quickly to the boil scraping up any sediment from the bottom of the pan.

Cook until slightly reduced then add the stock and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Season the sauce to taste and add 1 tbsp cream if you want.

Carve the Iamb into generous slices and serve with the sauce

The greeks are wonderful at cooking with lemons most of us just think of them as a seasoning but they turn them into wonderful soups puddings and countless other dishes. This is not a traditional greek dish as far as I know but it certainly owes its creation to greek inspiration. The lamb is coated with a tangy crust aga slotsroasted then served with a white wine gravy.

Serves 6