Gizzi Erskine is a chef, food writer and television star most famous for presenting Channel 4's Cook Yourself Thin. She lives in London with her two cats. Her latest book is Gizzi’s Season’s Eatings.
See more of Gizzi Erskine ’s recipes
Gizzi Erskine
Gizzi Erskine is a chef, food writer and television star most famous for presenting Channel 4's Cook Yourself Thin. She lives in London with her two cats. Her latest book is Gizzi’s Season’s Eatings.
See more of Gizzi Erskine ’s recipes
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Ingredients
4 tbsp olive oil
whole leg of lamb (1.7-1.9kg)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic bulbs, halved horizontally
2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs fresh oregano, plus a handful of chopped leaves, to serve
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
6 fresh bay leaves
5 anchovy fillets, drained
a handful of black olives
225g plum Sundream tomatoes, quartered
375ml white wine
500g easy-cook long-grain rice
450g fresh chicken stock
juice of 1 lemon, plus more to serve
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Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5.Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5.
In a sturdy roasting tin, heat the olive oil over a high heat. Season the lamb liberally. When the oil is hot, brown the lamb on all sides until you have achieved a good colour all over; this will take about 10 minutes in all. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside; lower the heat and add the onion, garlic, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves and fry for 5-8 minutes until the onions are softened and the garlic is beginning to caramelise. Next add the anchovies, olives and tomatoes, followed by the white wine and bring to the boil. Sit the lamb on top of everything and wrap the pan very tightly in foil. Put in the oven and cook for 22 minutes per 500g for medium, or 24 minutes per 500g for well done (between 1¼-1½ hours).
When the time is up, take the lamb out and whack the oven up as hot as it will go. Remove the foil from the lamb, return the roasting tin to the oven and cook uncovered for a further 15 minutes.
Once the lamb is cooked, remove and set aside to rest under foil. Lift the veg from the roasting tin into a large saucepan with a slotted spoon, discarding the rosemary and oregano. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the pan, discarding the skin, but keep the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Add the rice to the pan. Pour the remaining liquid from the tray into a large measuring jug and skim off the excess fat. Add the stock to this and about 600ml boiling water, to make up to 1.3 litres of liquid, then pour this into the pan with the veg and rice, adding 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the rice to steam for a further 10 minutes, to ensure it absorbs all the liquid. Fluff up the rice using a fork, discarding the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, and stir through the lemon juice and remaining oregano. Serve with more lemon to squeeze over, if you like.
Carve the lamb and serve on top of the pilaf, with a bowl of tzatziki to serve.
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And when you have a gorgeous cut, like a rack of lamb, you can cook it the good ol' Gordon Ramsay way—which is to say, lightly pan-sear it first, then baste it with an herby, garlicky butter, and finally finish it off in the oven until it's still pink and juicy in the middle. It comes out perfectly every time.
For the perfect roast lamb, we recommend seasoning the surface of the meat, and then searing it, especially fat side down in a pan before roasting. Why bother with searing? Contrary to some stories, searing is less about locking in moisture, and all about improving the flavour!
Medium-Rare: About 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature registers 130°F to 135°F. Medium: About 25 minutes per pound or until internal temperature registers 135°F to 140°F. Well-Done: About 30 minutes per pound or until internal temperature registers 155°F to 165°F. Fall-Apart Tender Lamb.
Greek Roast Lamb is well done, it should not be pink or red inside. However, it is cooked on low heat, resulting in tender and flavorful meat. If you wish to have have your lamb medium you will have to adjust roasting times.
Lower temp = more succulent meat – Tough cuts like lamb shoulder need slow-cooking to tenderise them. The lower the roasting temperature, the less total moisture evaporation and thus juicier meat. 3-hour lamb is cooked at 180°C/350°F, while the 12 hour lamb is cooked at only 100°C/212°F.
The lamb in the slow-cooker was juicier than that from the oven, but lacked the oven lamb's exterior crispy bits (we love crispy bits). The solution was to take the vegetables and lamb from the slow cooker and run them under the broiler to crisp things up a bit. We'd eat either version again in a heartbeat.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place lamb in a roasting dish fat side up and season well. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes per 500g basting occasionally or until internal temperature is 55°C for rare, 60°C for medium rare or 65°C for medium.
Roast leaner cuts of lamb in a hotter oven (450°F) to get a lovely brown crust and a well-cooked center; cook fattier cuts of lamb low and slow (325°F) to render all the fat and allow the lamb to cook in its juices. Due to residual heat, your lamb will continue to cook even after you pull it out of the oven.
Cook all raw lamb steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145° F (62.8° C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.
Lamb. Lamb is one of the most popular types of meat in Greece and is used in various recipes. Souvlaki skewers, roasted leg of lamb, and pastit*io are all popular dishes that feature this delicious meat. Lamb can also be found in traditional dishes such as moussaka or pasticcio.
Gyros, which are inspired by the Turkish doner kebab, aren't native to Greece. According to estimates, gyros didn't make their way there until the 1920s. Though popular in the U.S., lamb gyros are hardly consumed at all in Greece.
Mongolia tops the region at 45.1 kg per person consumed annually. This insatiable appetite for lamb and mutton stems from a long-standing pastoral tradition. In comparison, Americans consume only . 5 kg per person yearly.
Fattier cuts of lamb should be roasted long and slow at a low temperature, while leaner cuts of meat should be cooked at a high temperature for the first several minutes and then at a lower temperature the rest of the time. Braising is a popular technique for cooking less-tender cuts of lamb.
Directions. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Season the beef with salt and pepper; sear in a hot roasting pan with the olive oil to brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Transfer to oven; roast, allowing 15 minutes a pound (450g) for rare or 20 minutes a pound (450g) for medium.
Add beef broth/stock and water into the pan (keeps everything all nice and moist + makes pan juices for gravy), cover then slow roast for 5 hours until tender and fall apart. For an incredible hands-off version of this slow roast leg of lamb, try the Slow Cooker Roast Lamb!
Season lamb chops with garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Place lamb chops in a cast iron skillet. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for medium-well doneness.
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Prep time: 45 mins
