Easter lamb roasted on grapevine twigs

Some cook it on the spit (the lucky ones!) and others they prefer it stuffed. Some cook it in the pot and others they prefer it in the oven. The big star of the Easter table is cooked in Greece in so many different ways, but it is worshiped the same from everybody (or almost...). For example in areas of Roumeli (Central Greece), as well as other parts of the country, a traditional way of cooking the Easter lamb is to weave vine twigs together to make a bed in a deep roasting pan for a whole lamb (or goat kid), which gives the meat a rich "woody" flavour. If you don’t have a vine in your garden ask a friend, your butcher or your grocer to help you out –normally someone is sure to be able to get their hands on some. Also, make sure to wash the twigs well in plenty of water before using them. Alternatively, if you can't find any, place the meat on the oven metal rack and in the pan you'll place underneath it, make a bed of a bunch of fresh rosemary (or mixed similar herbs) so to give a special fragrance to the meat

Adapted from two recipes of Nena Ismyrnoglou and Makis Georgiadis,

from "Gastronomos" and "BHMAgourmet" magazines respectively

Ingredients (for 6 people)

For the meat:
1 leg of lamb of about 2,5-3Kg (or goat kid), bone in
1 large lemon, cut in half
Enough vine twigs to cover the bottom of the baking tray
salt
black pepper
olive oil

For the seasoning:
1/2 tbsp of coarse salt
1/2 tbsp of black pepper
2 tsp fresh rosemary (thyme or oregano), finely chopped (or dried)
2-4 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
1-2 tbsp of olive oil

----------------------------
2 tbsp of butter, cut in small pieces (for the alternative way)

Method:
Mix all the seasoning ingredients (except the butter) in a small bowl and leave aside.

Wash the meat well and dry. Rub the meat well all over with the lemon. Using a sharp knife make four or five deep cuts in different parts of the leg and stuff the holes with some of the seasoning mix. Use the rest of the seasoning to rub the meat on all sides.

Break the vine twigs into smaller pieces and place them in a criss-cross pattern at the bottom of a baking tray (preferably a deep, metal type of pan). Place the meat on top of the twigs, cover the tray with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 2 1/2 hours to marinate or even better overnight.

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Fill the baking dish with about 2,5cm of water and place the pan in the lowest position of the oven. Initially cook the meat for about 20-30 minutes, turning once. Reduce the heat to 150°C and cook for about 1 ½ hours more (or 1 hour for goat kid). *** Make sure to keep adding water if and when necessary. While cooking you can also brush the meat with a bit of oil from time to time in order to get a crispier skin.

The meat is ready when the skin begins to "crack" and separate from the meat. Pierce the meat with a fork and see if the liquid that comes out is clear. Switch off the oven, open the door halfway and let the meat rest for about 20 minutes. Remove from the baking tray, cut into portions and serve on a large platter.

***Instead of water you can also put potatoes in the tray. Mix them before cooking in a bowl with 1 tsp of mustard, 1/2 cup of oil, 1 tsp of honey, 1 tsp of oregano, salt and pepper and scatter around the meat.
 
Alternative way:
Preheat the oven to 170^οC.

Lay the vine twigs on the oven metal rack and place the meat on top (following the steps as above regarding the herbs). Brush the meat with some oil and scatter the butter on the surface.

Add some water in the baking dish and put it at the bottom of the oven. Place the rack with the meat at the position above the baking dish and cook for 2 ½ hours. While the meat is cooking all the delicious juices will drip into the pan and it can be used as a sauce.