Feta Crusted Lamb With Rich Tomato Sauce Recipes

FETA-CRUSTED LAMB WITH RICH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Marinate the lamb first. Put the racks into a non-metallic dish and mix the thyme, oil, lemon zest, garlic and half the oregano in a bowl. Rub this all over the lamb, then leave to marinate for at least 30 mins or up to 24 hrs. It's important that you cook the lamb from room temperature rather than fridge cold, so if you're cooking within 1 hr or so, leave it out of the fridge.
• For the sauce, finely chop the parsley stalks. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan or wide casserole, then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and the stalks, then soften for 1 min. Add the tomatoes and remaining oregano, then simmer for 5 mins until saucy, popping the cherry tomatoes with your wooden spoon to release all the juices and seeds. Chop the parsley leaves roughly and add half to the pan. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/ gas 8. Make the crust by mixing the remaining parsley leaves, feta, zest, oregano and breadcrumbs in a bowl.
• When you're ready to cook the lamb, leave most of the tasty marinade on the meat, season it well with salt and freshly ground pepper, then press the crust onto one side of each piece. Sit the racks in the sauce, with the crust-side facing upwards. Strew the thyme sprigs from the marinade over the lamb and into the sauce, then drizzle everything with a little extra virgin olive oil. Roast the lamb in the sauce, uncovered, for 20 mins (for pink and juicy meat) until the crust is golden and the sauce thickened. Leave to rest for 10 mins, loosely covered, so that the crust doesn't go soggy, then carve the lamb between each bone to make cutlets. Serve the crusted cutlets with spoonfuls of the intense, roasted-down tomato sauce, and the Easy buttered onion pilaf and Lemony greens (recipes below). Garnish with thyme.

BONELESS ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH FETA CHEESE, OLIVES, AND BABY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the butterflied leg of lamb flat on a work surface, fat side down. Combine the bread crumbs, currants, pine nuts, parsley, garlic, feta cheese, olives, rosemary, olive oil, and lemon juice in a bowl and blend well to make a coarse stuffing for the lamb. Spread the stuffing evenly along the center of the inside of the leg of lamb. Fold the lamb towards the center, one side and then the other, to enclose the stuffing and form a roll. Pin the roll closed with toothpicks or skewers, or tie the roll in several places with butcher's twine so that it does not open during cooking.
• Season the outside of the lamb with salt and pepper and place, seam-side-down, in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, then add the baby eggplants to the roasting pan with the lamb. Continue roasting the lamb and eggplant for another 35 to 40 minutes for medium rare.
• Remove the lamb and eggplants from the oven and allow the roast to cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve 2 to 3 slices of lamb per person and 1 or 2 roasted eggplants. The eggplant should be left whole during roasting, then split down the middle to serve. They should be eaten by scooping out the creamy eggplant interior, leaving the shells behind.

TASTY BAKED LAMB WITH FETA CHEESE AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cube the neck fillet and place on the base of a 9inch square oven dish.
• Change the dish size to suit you but we normally have enough lamb to cover the base of the dish - this makes a large meal for us two!
• Salt and pepper the lamb.
• Then cube feta cheese and sprinkle over the top.
• Thinly slice the tomatoes and layer over the top so that the dish is covered.
• Sprinkle on dried herbs.
• Sprinkle over the olive oil.
• Bake in the oven for 60 to 90 mins (we normally go for 90) at Gas mark 5 or 190°C.
• Half way through the baking time take the dish out and use a baster to draw out the juices at the bottom of the dish and squirt on the top.

RACK OF LAMB WITH FETA-GARLIC CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degreees F.
• Rub the fat covered side of the lamb with the mustard.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, feta and parsley.
• Season the lamb with salt and pepper and then pat the crumb mixture over the mustars and over the sides of the lamb.
• Place on a baking sheet and roast until desired degree of doneness. Medium-rare will take about 30 minutes.
• Let meat stand for 10 minutes before carving.

MINT-TOMATO SAUCE FOR LAMB

Steps:

• Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the mint and tomatoes.

FETA-STUFFED RACK OF LAMB WITH PUMPKIN-SEED CRUST AND CHIPOTLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Oil heavy large baking sheet. Toss garlic with 2 teaspoons corn oil in small bowl. Transfer to baking sheet. Roast 6 minutes. Add pumpkin seeds; toss to coat. Roast until seeds and garlic are golden brown, stirring once, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to rack; cool. Maintain oven temperature.
• Transfer garlic-pumpkin seed mixture to processor. Grind until coarse puree forms. Mix in remaining 2 teaspoons corn oil.
• Using long sharp knife and starting at 1 end of lamb, cut slit in center of each lamb rack half, extending slit to opposite end of lamb. Insert handle of wooden spoon into slit, enlarging slit to 3/4-inch-diameter hole. Combine feta, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and cilantro in large bowl. Fill hole in each lamb rack with feta mixture, dividing equally.
• Transfer lamb to prepared baking sheet. Spread mustard over rounded side of lamb; press 1/4 of pumpkin seed coating into mustard on each lamb rack half. Roast lamb until meat thermometer inserted near center of lamb registers 135°F. for medium-rare, about 25 minutes. Let lamb rest 15 minutes. Spoon 1/3 cup Chipotle Sauce onto each plate. Place 1 lamb rack half atop sauce on each plate. Serve, passing re-maining sauce separately.

GREEK LAMB-FETA BURGERS WITH CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• Set 4 whole garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium-high heat; toast until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Peel, mince and set aside.
• Break up lamb in a medium bowl. Sprinkle roasted garlic, feta, oregano, salt and pepper over meat; stir with a fork to combine. Divide into 4 portions. Toss meat back and forth between cupped hands to form a ball. Pat with fingertips to flatten to about 4 inches wide. Refrigerate.
• Mix cucumber, sour cream, mint, vinegar, 1 minced clove of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.
• Build a hot fire on one side of grill. Replace rack. When coals are covered with white ash, add burgers. Cover and cook, turning only once, until done, about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium to medium-well burgers.
• Grill pitas until spotty brown and warm, a minute or so per side. Split crosswise. Spread a couple of tablespoons of sauce over 4 pita halves. Top each with an onion slice, a tomato slice and a burger. Spread a portion of the remaining sauce over each burger. Top with remaining pita halves.