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Karen Mintzias
1 Baby lamb or kid, 10-12 kg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Lemons
1/4 c butter; melted
1/4 c olive oil
--------------------------SPINACH & FETA STUFFING--------------------------
2 1/2 kg Spinach
3 c Chopped spring onions
3/4 c olive oil
1 c Short grain rice
1 1/2 kg Feta cheese
1/4 c Chopped fresh dill
1/4 c Chopped fresh mint
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Serves: 20 Oven temperature: 180 C (350 F) Cooking time: 4-5 hours
Wipe lamb inside and out with a damp cloth. Rub cavity and outside of lamb
with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and leave aside until stuffing is
prepared.
Trim roots from spinach and remove discoloured and damaged leaves. Wash
spinach in several changes of water, drain well and chop coarsely.
In a large deep pan (not aluminium) gently fry spring onions in oil until
soft, add spinach and stir over heat until it wilts. Stir in washed rice,
cover pan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes until most of liquid is
absorbed. Remove from heat and cool. Break up feta into small chunks and
add to spinach mixture with herbs. Mix well, taste, then add salt if
necessary and a generous grinding of pepper. Blend thoroughly.
Partly sew up the cavity with white string, pack stuffing in through
opening and finish sewing up the cavity. Push foreshanks back towards body
and tie in postition, passing string over back of carcase. Tie back legs,
leaving them a little apart - tying will prevent them splaying outwards.
Rub outside again with lemon juice, salt and pepper and place on a rack set
in a large catering-size baking dish.
Combine melted butter with olive oil and brush half of this over the lamb
or kid. Cover dish with large sheets of foil, sealing joins with double
folds. Press foil under edges of dish to seal completely.
Bake in a moderate oven for 4-5 hours. After 2 hours lift foil and brush
meat with butter-oil mixture. Cook for further 1 1/2 to 2 hours, remove
foil, brush again and cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until meat is cooked
through and browned. Remove from oven, cover with foil and a thick cloth
and leave to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Lift lamb or kid onto a
large wooden board, remove string and spoon stuffing onto a platter. Turn
the carcase onto its back and chop along backbone from the inside with a
cleaver. Then chop each half into chunks and pile onto platters. Meat on
legs may be carved into slices.
From: "The Complete Middle East Cookbook" by Tess Mallos. ISBN: 1 86302 069
1
Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
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