Greek cuisine: prepare Kleftiko (lamb on the bone)

Kleftiko - a traditional Greek dish of roasted lamb (ovine drumsticks)

. How to cook kleftiko? Greek recipes "stolen meat 'It is believed that its name plate" kleftiko ", which translates as the stolen meat, obliged hungry livelihood of the poor Greeks during the Ottoman rule. Tamara Kulikova, Shutterstock.com illegally mined, it is after the cut coated with a mixture of salt with spices and sent to the pit of hot coals, I arranged away from home. There he was allowed, not to attract the attention of the occupants, and then came and picked up a ready-made. Anyway, so the story goes.

According to another version, of hidden in the ground meat to make a fire, due to which it is baked. Be that as it may, the modern technology of preparation kleftiko provides a different way of handling the hot product. Today this dish is prepared with lamb (kleftiko Lamb) and chicken (kotopulo kleftiko).



Lamb kleftiko
1 option. Mix 1 cup dry white wine 1 tbsp. honey, salt, garlic, herbs and spices (suitable mint, rosemary, thyme, cumin, coriander, oregano), slightly stir, bringing to an even consistency, and lubricates the prepared meat: obmytoe, cut into portions, which are made incisions the total mass of 1 kg. It may also impose vegetables (potato, onion, carrots) and then wrapped with several layers of aluminum foil. Kleftiko baked in a hot oven (about 20 minutes at a temperature of 200 - 250 degrees) and then another 1 languishes, 5 hours at 150 degrees. Result: 4 - 5 servings of fragrant juicy lamb.

Option 2. If you are going to submit kleftiko for dinner, you have to take care of preparing meals in advance. So, lamb (1 kg) have to withstand several hours (ideally - 6) in a marinade of lemon juice 4 with salt, mashed with a bay leaf, pepper, oregano and zira. In addition, you need to prepare a cake of yeast dough (I do in the eye of the flour, dry yeast, water, salt and vinegar, often used for kleftiko and the other keep in the freezer for other culinary purposes). Marinated meat, having beaten off, fry until golden brown in olive oil, put in a clay pot or a la carte or in a form with high sides. Top relies put coarsely chopped onions, but I have a little fry in advance, as the home like. Instead of using the cover of the pre-cooked tortilla dough. baking time in the oven - from 15 to 40 minutes.

Kotopulo kleftiko
1 option. Chicken carcass weight of 1, 1 - 1, 3 kg was divided into 4 parts, each rub lemon quarters and coated with a mixture of salt, pepper and oregano (you can add rosemary and oregano). Each portion was spread on a separate square of foil or double, from the baking paper and foil, slightly bent up edge. Then sprinkle the meat onion, pour dry white wine and olive oil, wrap and bake in the oven for 1 - 1 5 hours. For 10 - minutes before the end of the process, you can push the edge of the packaging.

Option 2. Take 3 chicken breasts, cut each in half lengthwise, salt, pepper, fry in a pan until half, and then spread on a baking sheet, pour the oil from the frying on each piece put the tomato paste (or mug of fresh tomatoes) and sweet pepper rings, cover plates hard cheese. Kleftiko is baked in the oven, preheated to 200 degrees, about half an hour (maybe a little less, tell time cooking color cheese "covers").