For those who want a more ‘local’ flavor to their holiday fare!

 

Ingredients: 

1 boneless leg of lamb (2-2 ½ kilos) 

 

for the stuffing:

200g head cheese, grated

½ cup dry roasted pine nuts

4 carrots, chopped into rounds

1 sprig oregano

salt & pepper

1 tsp oregano, exact

4 cloves garlic

5 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp room temperature butter

1 tsp pink or white pepper

 

for the side:

3-4 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

1 ½ kilo potatoes

 

Directions:

Rinse the meat well, and dry with paper towels. Dry roast the pine nuts for a few minutes on a grill on a piece of aluminum foil, or in a frying pan. Don’t use any oil! Next begin making the stuffing. Mix the cheese, carrots, and pine nuts together in a bowl. Sprinkle on salt & pepper to taste and rub a bit of the oregano off the sprig. Mix well. 

 

Put a large piece of baking sheet down on your counter and place the meat on it. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper and the teaspoon of oregano. Make 4 slices in the meat at equidistant locations, and place one clove of garlic in each slit, as well as a bit of the stuffing. Save enough stuffing to spread over the surface of the meat. After you’ve spread on the stuffing, sprinkle with pepper, spread on the butter and pour on the olive oil. Then wrap tightly in the baking sheet, and secure by tying it up with string.

 

Next wash and cut the potatoes into large pieces. Throw them in a bowl with salt, pepper and a little oregano if you like, and toss. Place another large piece of baking sheet down on your counter, placing the meat roll in the center and the potatoes around it. Place the rosemary and thyme sprigs atop the potatoes. Close up the baking sheet into a tight bundle with string and sprinkle a bit of water onto the paper with your fingers. Bake at 200°C in a preheated oven for 2 hours.