Roasted Leg of Lamb with Wine, Garlic, Allspice and Cheese
4-6 servings
One 3-to-4-pound/1 ½ – 2 kilos leg of spring (baby) lamb, bone in, trimmed of fat
3-4 garlic cloves, to taste, peeled and minced
1 tsp. ground allspice
¼ pound/120 g. kefalotyri or any hard yellow cheese, coarsely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup/240 ml extra virgin Greek olive oil
2-3 pounds/1 — 1 ½ kilos small all-purpose potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and halved
Dried rosemary
Fresh dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (for the potatoes)
1 cup/240 ml dry white wine, or more as needed
Juice of 1-2 lemons, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C.
2. Grind the garlic and allspice together in a mortar or an electric spice mill, then combine in a bowl with the cheese. With a sharp paring knife, make small incisions all over the surface of the lamb. Press a pinchful of the mixture deep into each of the incisions until the spice-and-cheese mixture is used up and all the incisions are stuffed. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Heat ½ cup of the olive oil in a large, wide roasting pan (something big enough to fit the leg) on top of the stove over medium-high heat and sear the lamb until golden, turning frequently to brown on all sides. As soon as it steams, remove the pan from the heat.
4. Place the potatoes around the lamb and season generously with salt and pepper. Add rosemary, oregano and a little bit of garlic on the potatoes. Pour in the wine, a little bit of lemon juice. Drizzle the remaining ½ cup olive oil over the potatoes. Roast until the lamb is cooked to the desired doneness, 1 hour to 1 ½ hours. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. If necessary, continue roasting the potatoes, adding water or wine to the pan to keep them from burning. Carve the lamb and serve.