Kleftiko
" Kleftico" Is a traditional cypriot dish, It remainds me of my childhood,
my Father in the garden preparing the meets, mother shouting to the kids
thats including me to not eat all the chocolates save my apetite. Then once
My father lit the clay oven all theese wondefull smells hit you and you just cant
wait to dig in.
Kleftiko is made of lamb or goat meat ( not to young) and must be cooked
and seeled in a pot. In Cyprus "kleftico is placed in special clay pots and is
cooked in small ovens which you will find in Almost every cypriots back yard.
Its like a way of life, In the town where I used to live my father and mother had
no clay ovens, So they put the meat in a clay pot, sealed it with paste made from
flour and water and cooked in the usual kitchen oven . In my house we didnt have
pots of clay so we used a pie-dish but this also should be sealed, so that the meat
can be cooked very slow.( when properly cooked the meat should seperate from
the bone and you first reaction should be "WOW").
For those without the aid of an outdoor oven cook as follows:
6 pieces of boned meat ( 1/4 kilo approximately for every peson)
3 tomatoes cut in thick slices
2 table spoons of corn oil
1 kilo of small spring potatoes
6 small kubes of fat from a lambs
tail or could even use caul fat
just ask your local butcher.
2 bayleaves cut in halvees
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of peper
1/4 tbsp of oregano, thyme
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup of corn oil ( for potatoes)
salt and pepper
Wash the meat, drain well, sprinkle with leomon juice and dont be scared
just let loose with the lemon .
mix salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and sprinkle on the meat .
Brush corn oil onto the 6 pieces of foil and wrap the meat
in them .
Put in the pot, seal well with the paste or just cover the pot
with another layer of foil air tight and cook in a medium oven
for 2 1/2 hours or 3 hours 180c with fan .
Mean while prepare those wondefull potatoes.Peel them, wash
them and make small cuts in them to let out the steam and for them
the potatoes to cook inside, samll cuts in each potatoes with a knife.
Put in the baking tray, add oil and lambs fat , put the sliced tomatoes on the
potatoes , sprinkle with salt and peppere and bayleaves . One hour before the
lamb is ready, put potatoes in the oven so that every thing cooks at the same time
as the kleftiko.
Put a piece of "kleftiko " and some potatoes in every plate. serve with any kind of salad
and enjoy.
Serves Preparation Cooking Time Skill
6 10-12 minutes 2-3 HOURS easy
Note
The lamb in this recipe can be any cut but vasoss recommends square cut shoulder or neck as these make for a more tender kleftiko
Greek rigani is available at Greek and Continental delis and grocery stores.
http://youtu.be/9yBR7r2-Bg4http://youtu.be/9yBR7r2-Bg4
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