Lamb Kleftiko - A lovely Greek Dish

lamb shoulder

🥗Healthier: chicken thighs

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken thighs are leaner, while pork shoulder is more affordable.

feta cheese

🥗Healthier: ricotta cheese

💰Cheaper: cottage cheese

Ricotta provides a similar creaminess with fewer calories.

Welcome to Chef's Baking Blog. Today I'm making Cleftico, a Greek lamb and potato dish.

Using 2 kg lamb shoulder, I mention that traditionally lamb shoulder is used, but leg of lamb can also be used.

For vegetables, I'm using 1.25 kg small new potatoes, 250 g red onion cut into wedges, 100 g red pepper cut into strips, and 150 g cherry tomatoes.

I have 6 cloves of minced garlic and 1 whole garlic bulb.

I'm going to coat the lamb in olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and cinnamon with some lemon juice, then marinate for about an hour.

I mix the oregano, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on the lamb, and rub it all over the meat.

I squeeze the juice of 1 lemon onto the lamb and cover it to marinate.

As the hour ends, I preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).

In a roasting pan, I lay down strips of parchment paper to enclose the dish.

I add the onions, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes to the parchment, then place the marinated lamb on top.

I add bay leaves and the two halves of the lemon, squeezing a bit more juice on top, and drop in the halved garlic bulb.

I cut the feta into chunks and add it to the dish, then fold the parchment over and seal it with aluminum foil.

I place the dish in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 4 to 5 hours until the meat is very soft.

After 4 to 5 hours, I remove the foil and parchment, increase the oven temperature to 200°C (390°F), and cook for an additional 20 minutes to brown the meat.

I take the meat out and leave the vegetables in the oven for another 15 minutes.

After cooking for a total of 5 hours, I show the finished dish, noting the meat is tender and can be pulled apart easily.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

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Dietary

Allergens