Grenglish - Slow Cooker "Roast" Lamb with Tesco Cypriot New Potatoes, tomatoes, feta and tsatziki............Raki Optional!

With Spring loitering around the corner, and looking out at the drizzle on a lazy Sunday morning, thoughts turn to Summers spent hopping around Greek islands, and a recipe to capture all that is great about Greece, keeping it simple, but totally tasty......

Last year we went to Mykonos, Paros, Anti-Paros, Naxos, Tinos and Crete.....and yet so many more islands to explore.

Chris and I got engaged in Cyprus in 2001, it's a beautiful country, with an amazing though sad history. With two very different sides to the island, we only saw the South, where these Cypriot potatoes are grown, but would love to go back and experience the North Turkish side of the island.

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So, to go with my Cyprus potatoes it had to be lamb, and it had to have oregano.   The potatoes had to be roasted with Paprika, and it had to be served with feta, tomatoes and home made tsatziki.  In Crete we've seen Lamb on the menu as Lamp regularly - this is because in the Greek alphabet there is no letter "b"!

I guess roast potatoes aren't particularly Greek, so using Cypriot potatoes roasted, kind of makes it Grenglish!   I was also going to use the more Cypriot Haloumi cheese, but it doesn't crumble as Feta does, so that's an experiment for another day.

Perfect Cypriot New Potato Roasties
1 pack Tesco Cypriot New Potatoes 750g
Paprika
Oregano
Olive Oil
Salt

Cut potatoes in half and par boil in a large saucepan for around 10 minutes.   When draining swirl them around so that they "bash up" a little, as this helps the roasting process.

Sprinkle with paprika and oregano, and move around to make sure covered (doesn't have to be precise).  Add a little salt - this helps to draw the moisture out and gets them to crisp up.

Pre heat the oil in a roasting pan until hot.  Add the potatoes and move the potatoes around to ensure covered in oil.  Roast for around 40 mins.

Slow Cooker "Roast Lamb"
Half leg of lamb -
bring to room temperature before cooking.
Rosemary (I have some in my garden)
Garlic - sliced, as much or as little as you want
Olive Oil
Seasoning: oregano, rosemary, white pepper

I have used the slow cooker regularly for roasts, and lamb works beautifully.  Make little slits in the lamb joint, and fill with sprigs of rosemary and slices of garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil and cover with seasoning.

Put into the slow cooker, and cook slow for 8-10 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the tsatziki.
1/2 a cucumber
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbs of good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
500g Greek Yoghurt - I use 0% fat
Snall bunch of fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp dried mint
squeeze of lemon

Peel and grate the cucumber, drain and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Crete last Summer *sighs*

Serve the slow cooker lamb with the Cypriot New Potatoes, tomatoes with feta and oregano, together with fresh crusty bread, and maybe a glass of Raki if you like.  Memories of that blue sky and ocean.....beautiful!

Enjoy
Annie


Disclaimer, Tesco paid for the ingredients for this post.