Nothing says "Easter" like a traditional dinner of lamb or a delicious glazed ham. Whichever you choose, chef Jim Botsacos, author of "The New Greek Cuisine," shows you how to make your holiday meal memorable. Check out his formulas for Sunday success:
Recipe: Roasted leg of lamb with lemon, garlic and oregano (on this page) Recipe: Slow-cooked ham with a spiced Samos fig glaze (on this page)1. Take the leg of lamb and place on a clean cutting board. In a separate small bowl, mix the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Roll the lemon on cutting board, cut it in half, and squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl; add 1/3 cup of olive oil and mix thoroughly. Massage the entire lamb with the olive oil mixture top to bottom, making sure you get it into the bottom crevices of the lamb.
2. Place the lamb in a resealable plastic bag large enough to hold it and remove all the air, or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Place the bag or the wrapped lamb in a baking dish and refrigerate for at least 3 hours — preferably overnight. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450° F. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator, unwrap and set aside.
3. Place a large, heavy-gauge metal roasting pan into the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes.
4. Take one tablespoon of olive oil, drizzle it onto the lamb, and then season the lamb with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Rub the salt and pepper and oil into the lamb. Open the oven door and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan; then place the lamb in the pan fat-side down and close the oven door. Roast for 25 minutes; turn the lamb over and roast for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Remove the lamb from the oven, pour in the white wine, and add the stock. Turn the temperature down to 400° F and return the pan to the oven. Basting frequently with the juices, roast 30 to 40 minutes, making sure that the pan juices do not dry out (if it looks dry, add additional stock or water as needed).
6. Pull out and let rest 15 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine and slice the lamb. Strain the pan juices and serve over lamb.
Tips:
Serves 6-8
1. To make the glaze, combine the wine, honey, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, orange peel and figs and simmer for about 10–15 minutes, until the figs become nice and soft and the liquid is reduced by three-quarters. Remove from heat; remove the cinnamon stick, lemon and orange rind, and puree in a blender. The glaze will have the consistency of thick honey.
2. Take all the ground spices, salt and sugar, combine in a bowl, and set aside.
3. Position the oven rack in the bottom third of oven. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
4. Lay the ham on a cutting board and trim away any tough rind or fat from the top side of the ham, leaving a layer of fat about 1/4 of an inch thick (most gourmet hams, such as a Hormel Fleur De Lis, will already be trimmed). Using a long, sharp knife, score the fat in 1-inch-wide diamond patterns. Using two tablespoons of olive oil, rub the oil to coat the top of the ham and then the sides.
5. Sprinkle the spice rub over the top and sides of the ham, rubbing it into the skin until the ham is fully coated. (Any spice that falls on the cutting board can be discarded.)
6. Place ham in a shallow roasting pan fitted with a rack. Fill the bottom of the pan with about 1/4 inch of water. Place the pan in the oven.
7. Cook the ham 60–75 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn and rotate the ham; then cook it for another 35 minutes. You will have a nice golden-reddish color from the spices. Make sure while cooking that the water in the pan doesn’t dry out; if it starts to dry out, add more water.
8. Remove the ham from the oven. Using a spoon, take half of the fig glaze, place on the top side of the ham and rub it all around the ham. The glaze will drip down the diamond pattern and get into the crevices. Make sure there is ample liquid in the pan, tent the ham with aluminum foil, and place it back in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. By having the water in the pan and tenting the ham, the steam will help heat the ham through.
9. Remove the ham from the oven and add the remaining glaze. Remove the foil and cook 30–40 minutes for a total cooking time of 2–2 1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 140° F when inserted in the thickest part of the ham.
10. When the ham comes out, it will be lightly golden and the glaze will be lightly caramelized on the surface of the ham. Allow to cool 10–15 minutes before carving.
Guidelines:
Boneless ham: Allow 20–25 minutes per pound
Partially bone-in ham: Allow 25–30 minutes per pound
Tips:
Tenting with liquid allows the ham to heat through quicker, reducing the amount of cooking time.
Scoring the ham not only decorates it, but allows glaze to steep into the ham and give it a richer flavor.
Note: If selecting a fully cooked smoked bone-in ham, increase the cooking time by 25-30 minutes per pound.
Serves 6-8
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