Peter and Emily's lamb kleftico with tzatziki dip

Friday 14 September at 9:22am

Add a Cypriot twist to your Sunday roast and try Peter and Emily Andre's mouth-watering lamb kleftico served with tzatziki and roasted aubergines.

Serves 4Prep: 20 minutesCook: 2 ½ - 3 hours

Ingredients:Lamb kleftico:4-6 large waxy potatoes, unpeeled and cut in half1 large red pepper, roughly sliced4 large tomatoesSea salt & ground black pepper4 lamb shanks - or around 2kg lamb shoulder or legJuice of 1 - 2 lemons1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 bulb garlic, cut in half horizontally2 tbsp fresh chopped oregano2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary1 tbsp dried oreganoLemon wedges and roasted aubergines (optional, see step 8)

Tzatziki dip:250g natural set yogurt Sea salt & ground black pepper½ small cucumber, deseeded, wiped, dried and finely chopped¼ tsp smoked paprika1 clove garlic, crushedJuice of ½ lemon1 tbsp chopped parsley or mint or combination of both.

Method:1. Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5.

For the kleftico: Place the potatoes, red pepper and tomatoes in a large, flameproof oven-proof casserole dish or tin lined with greaseproof paper and season with the salt and pepper.
Put the lamb shanks on top and pour over the lemon juice, olive oil, then add the garlic halves to the dish.
Sprinkle with the oregano, rosemary and dried oregano. Pour in 175ml water into the dish and cover with the lid if using a casserole dish or seal tightly with greaseproof paper or foil if using a tin.
Cook in the oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours, (or longer if using whole lamb joints) or until the meat is falling off the bone. Top up with a little more water, if necessary, halfway through.
Remove the lid (greaseproof paper or foil) after this time, checking the consistency of the juices. If the dish seems dry, add a little more water and return to the oven for 5 minutes. If too dilute, transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving dish and reduce the cooking juices on the hob.
For the tzatziki: In a small bowl mix together the yogurt, salt and pepper with the cucumber, paprika, garlic, lemon juice and parsley or mint or both if using.
If liked, serve the lamb shanks and vegetables with halved slow roasted aubergines made by halving aubergines, making a few slits in the flesh, adding garlic slices into the slits, season with salt and pepper and roasting skin side down for 40 minutes or under tender and soft. Top with a spoonful of tzatziki, and lemon wedges to serve.