Monday, April 20, 2009

Open-Faced Roasted Lamb Wrap and Potato Feta Gratin

Regardless of what the Barefoot Contessa thinks-- it is not possible to be a guest when hosting a holiday celebration at your home. This weekend I hosted an Easter party at my home. Greek Orthodox Easter is the culimination of a fasting period where the focus is not only the Resurrection of Jesus Christ but on roasting a lamb on a spit. When people have not consumed meat and other animal products for an extended period of time, breaking the fast is a big deal and places even more pressure on the host as no one wants to go down with the epitaph associated with serving bad lamb at Easter. I thoroughly enjoyed having my family and friends join in the celebration of Jesus Christ, and I am so happy that the lamb once again turned out as the star of the show.

While running around making sure that friends and family enjoyed this wonderful meal, I forgot to take a moment and enjoy the food. But I would be damned if I would not get a good meal out of a 38 lb. roasted baby lamb. All day I had lamb on my mind. More specifically, I was thinking about how to use the leftovers and frankly I was not in a state to do any heavy thinking. So this sandwich was simple and so good! On the right is my husband's creation and on the left is mine. It is simply dressed with tomatoes, onions and tzaziki. I cannot wait to see what comes to mind after some much need sleep.

Nothing goes better with roasted lamb than potatoes. There is nothing particularily inventive about pairing potatoes with feta, expect of course the pretentious name "Potato Feta Gratin". By fanning potatoes on a hot pan and placing in the oven to brown the top, you end up with a tasty and presentable incarination of a classic flavor combination.

Opened-Faced Roasted Lamb Sandwich
Heat enough olive oil to coat a pan and place sliced roasted lamb pieces to heat through. Meanwhile, warm pita bread. I had a naan style on hand, slice fresh tomato, onions or other items such as cucumbers or lettuce. Place lamb slices on pita load up on toppings including lots of tzatziki. Serve and enojy.

Potato Feta Gratin
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Thinly slice 2-3 medium sized yukon gold potatoes. Heat 3 tablesoons of olive oil in a large pan, fan potatoes slices and cook for 5-10 minutes. Top with crumbled feta and a bit of black pepper. Place in the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is browned.

2 comments:

Kiki (Run Kiki Run) said...

Xronia polla! What a great idea for all those Easter leftovers! Well done!

Peter M said...

It's a hectic day but fun. Being Greeks, we always have some help nearby...use it!

The wrap and the potato dish are fab...not the usual thing we see at Easter but still very Greek - bravo!

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