I’m so excited! I’m attending BottleRock Napa Valley for the first time this weekend. Last year, I bought a one-day ticket to the event, but then fractured my fibula and couldn’t go. So I never got to see Maroon 5 perform or my hero, Martha Stewart, take the Culinary Stage.
Fortunately, the 2018 lineup is pretty impressive. I’m hoping to catch The Killers, Halsey, Bruno Mars and Giada De Laurentiis, among other artists and chefs. But if you’ll be home, I suggest you get in the kitchen and try your hand at this lamb kleftiko recipe. It’s easy to prepare and the finished product is both rustic and sumptuous.
Serve lamb kleftiko with chilled white wine for a special occasion or casual night in. If you’re a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy or gal, I guarantee you’ll devour the dish!
Recipe adapted from Postcards from Greece.
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1½ pounds boneless lamb meat, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 6 small red potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
- 1½ cups grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 ounces aged goat cheese, cut into ½" pieces
- juice of 1 lemon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place 2 40" pieces of parchment paper perpendicular to each other in a 12" pie plate.
- In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, arrange lamb in the pot in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until lightly caramelized, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to bowl with lamb.
- Add next six ingredients (carrot through parsley) to bowl with lamb and onion, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to the prepared pie plate and scatter the goat cheese on top. Drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water.
- Starting with the top piece of parchment paper, bring ends together and fold down about 1 inch. Continue folding down until the parchment paper is flush against the surface of the mixture. Repeat with second piece of parchment paper. Make sure to seal the edges completely.
- Bake for 1½ hours. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully cut open parchment paper and serve immediately.
