Arni Gemisto me Horta ke Feta
(Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Greens and Feta) Recipe

Origin: Greece      Period: Modern

Ingredients

80ml olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 fennel bulb, trimmed (fronds and tender stalks reserved), halved and thinly sliced
250g thinly sliced spring onions
1 tbsp coarsely-chopped garlic
2 garlic cloves, quartered
240g coarsely chopped mixed greens (egs baby spinach, tender Swiss chard leaves, lamb's lettuce, pea shoots, orache, green amaranth, outer leaves of romaine lettuce, and/or beet greens)
1 tsp fennel seeds, freshly ground
freshly-ground black pepper
35g chopped fresh mint
1.8kg half leg of lamb (shank half), with some fat left on and the shank bone left in (remove the hip end of bone if still attached)
100g crumbled Feta cheese
salt, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
120ml dry white wine, (plus more if needed)
75g chopped fennel fronds plus tender stalks, (or fresh dill)

Arni Gemisto me Horta ke Feta
(Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Greens and Feta) Preparation:

Method:

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the fennel bulb over medium heat until just tender (about 3 minutes). Add the scallions and chopped garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the greens and fry until just wilted. Remove from the heat and stir-in the fennel seeds, adding black pepper to taste. Allow to cool before adding the mint.

With a sharp knife make eight small slits in the lamb and insert the garlic quarters in these.

Meanwhile transfer half the greens to a bowl and set aside. Add the Feta cheese to the remaining greens in the pan and use this to stuff the lamb (where the bone was). Use cocktail sticks to close the opening. Rub the remaining greens over the lamb, cover and refrigerate over night.

The following day scrape the greens from the surface of the lamb (reserve these) and liberally brush the meat with oil before sprinkling with the oregano and seasoning. Place the meat in a roasting dish and roast in an oven pre-heated to 210°C for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile add the wine to a pan and bring to a boil. Add the reserved greens and simmer for 1 minute before pouring this mixture over the meat. Return the lamb to the oven and roast for 5 minutes more. Then reduce the oven temperature to 170°C and roast the lamb, basting frequently with the pan juices, for about 30 minutes more. Add a little water if the pan juices become too dry.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle the chopped fennel or dill then cover with aluminium foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Pour the pan juices into a sauce boat then carve the lamb and serve. The perfect accompaniment are potatoes roasted with garlic, lemon and oregano.

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