My favourite recipe from last year’s travels was Lamb Kleftiko. I sampled this in Crete whilst on my island hopping adventure. Since it’s Easter weekend, and lamb is a traditional dish in Wales, I thought I’d share with you a recipe. I’m swapping traditional roast lamb for lamb slow-cooked with garlic, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and herbs.

This recipe is adapted from ‘Rick Stein: From Venice to Istanbul’.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 large red pepper, cut into strips
• 3 large tomatoes, cut into thick slices
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 12 turns of a Peppermill
• 1 leg of lamb (approximately 2.5kg)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 60ml olive oil
• 1 garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally
• 1 tbsp dreid oregano
• 200ml water
• 100g Feta cheese, roughly crumbled

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 190*C/gas 5.
2. Place the potatoes, red pepper and tomatoes in a large tin or oven dish and season with the salt and pepper.
3. Put the leg of lamb on top and pour over the lemon juice and olive oil.
4. Add the garlic and sprinkle all over with oregano.
5. Pour the water into the tin and cover with foil, sealing the edges well to retain the moisture as it cooks.
6. Cook in the oven for 2 1/2 – 2 3/4 hours until the meat is falling off the bone (add a little more water half way through, if necessary, to keep the vegetables moist.
7. Remove the foil and add the Feta, then return to the oven for 10 minutes more.
8. Serve the meat in chunks with the vegetables and juices.

Enjoy the leftovers the next day in pitta bread with salad.