Kleftiko
Cyprus's slow-roasted lamb, named for the Klephts — mountain rebels who resisted Ottoman rule from the 15th to 19th centuries and lived by raiding livestock. To hide their fires from patrols, they dug pits, laid stolen meat over embers wrapped in leaves, and sealed the pit with earth so no smoke or aroma escaped. That sealed, airtight cooking is still the whole point of the dish today — a tightly wrapped parchment or foil parcel standing in for the pit.
Meat
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg bone-in lamb shoulder or leg
- 6 cloves garlic, slivered
- 60ml olive oil
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 potatoes, quartered
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 onion, sliced
- Salt and pepper
Steps
- Insert garlic slivers into the lamb, then marinate several hours or overnight in olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Layer the potatoes, tomatoes, and onion in a roasting dish or a large sheet of parchment and foil.
- Place the marinated lamb and bay leaves on top, then seal the parcel or dish tightly so no steam escapes.
- Slow-roast at 150°C (300°F) for 3-4 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.