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Meat and Poultry

Lamb

Αρνί · Arni

Lamb, the meat most tied to Greek Easter celebrations
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Lamb is festival meat in Greece before it is anything else, and its strongest association by far is with Easter, the single biggest feast of the Greek calendar. A whole lamb turned slowly on a spit over charcoal for hours is the centrepiece of Easter Sunday in countless households, following seven weeks of Lenten fasting that excluded meat entirely, which is a large part of why the meat carries such weight on that particular day.

Outside the spit, lamb is treated with a lighter hand than its festival status might suggest: lemon, garlic and oregano, the same base marinade used across most Greek grilled meat, is the standard treatment for paidakia, lamb chops grilled hard and fast over charcoal, rather than anything more elaborately sauced.

Kleftiko, lamb slow-baked for hours wrapped tightly in parchment or foil until it falls off the bone, represents the other end of the technique spectrum: long, gentle, moist heat rather than a hard sear, named for the klephts, warrior-bandits who reputedly cooked meat this way in sealed pits to hide the smoke and smell of a fire from Ottoman patrols.

Recipes with lamb

27 recipes on the site using it.

A tray of Greek moussaka with a browned bechamel top, one square lifted outMoussakaMousakas ΜουσακάςMain Courses · 1h 55m · serves 8A plate of golden brown Greek meatballs with lemon wedges and fresh mintKeftedesKeftedes ΚεφτέδεςMeze and Appetisers · 45m · serves 6Slow-cooked Greek lamb kleftiko falling off the bone with potatoes and lemonKleftikoKleftiko ΚλέφτικοMain Courses · 4h 25m · serves 6Grilled Cypriot sheftalia sausages wrapped in caul fat with charred edgesCypriot Sausages in Caul FatSheftalia ΣεφταλιάMain Courses · 45m · serves 6Cypriot Clay-Pot Lamb and RiceTavas ΤαβάςMain Courses · 2h 55m · serves 6Golden fried Cypriot koupes bulgur shells on a plate with lemonCypriot Bulgur Shells Stuffed with MeatKoupes ΚούπεςMeze and Appetisers · 1h 40m · serves 8Charred Greek paidakia lamb chops on a grill with lemon and oreganoPaidakiaPaidakia ΠαϊδάκιαMain Courses · 25m · serves 4A bowl of Greek magiritsa Easter soup with fresh dillEaster Offal and Herb SoupMagiritsa ΜαγειρίτσαSoups · 2h 30m · serves 8Cretan antikristo lamb propped facing an open fire on skewersCretan Spit-Roasted Lamb Facing the FireAntikristo ΑντικριστόMain Courses · 4h 30m · serves 8Thessaloniki giaourtlou kebab with tomato sauce and garlic yogurtThessaloniki Kebab with Yogurt and TomatoGiaourtlou ΓιαουρτλούMain Courses · 45m · serves 4Sifnos Lamb Baked in Wine and DillMastelo Sifnou Μαστέλο ΣίφνουMain Courses · 2h 50m · serves 6Kefalonia kreatopita meat pie in golden phyllo, slicedKefalonia Spiced Meat PieKefalonitiki kreatopita Κεφαλονίτικη κρεατόπιταBreads and Pies · 2h · serves 8Lamb and Lettuce in AvgolemonoArni fricassee Αρνί φρικασέMain Courses · 2h · serves 6Lamb with Artichokes in AvgolemonoArni me anginares Αρνί με αγκινάρεςMain Courses · 2h 10m · serves 6Pontic Greek manti dumplings served under garlic yogurt saucePontic Greek Dumplings in Yogurt and GarlicManti pontiako Μαντί ποντιακόMain Courses · 1h 50m · serves 6Kalymnos Baked Lamb and PotatoesFournisto Kalymnou Φουρνιστό ΚαλύμνουMain Courses · 3h · serves 8A pot of Greek arni kokkinisto lamb braised in red tomato sauceLamb Braised in TomatoArni kokkinisto Αρνί κοκκινιστόMain Courses · 2h 5m · serves 6Greek lamb souvla turning slowly on a spit over charcoalLamb SouvlaSouvla arni Σούβλα αρνίMain Courses · 4h 30m · serves 10A whole roasted Greek arnaki lemonato lamb leg with lemon and herbsRoast Lamb Leg with LemonArnaki lemonato Αρνάκι λεμονάτοMain Courses · 3h 40m · serves 6Greek kokoretsi lamb offal wrapped and grilled on a spitKokoretsiKokoretsi ΚοκορέτσιMain Courses · 3h 30m · serves 8Lamb and Cheese Baked in ParcelsExohiko ΕξοχικόMain Courses · 1h 40m · serves 4Lamb in Cinnamon-Clove SauceArnisio kapama Αρνίσιο καπαμάMain Courses · 2h 25m · serves 6A pot of Pontic Greek keskek wheat and meat porridgePontic Greek Wheat and Meat PorridgeKeskek ΚεσκέκMain Courses · 4h 30m · serves 8Cypriot Wedding Wheat and LambResi ΡέσιMain Courses · 2h 50m · serves 8Argolida Slow-Baked Lamb with PotatoesBogana ΜπογάναMain Courses · 3h 55m · serves 6Astypalaia Easter Stuffed LambLambriano ΛαμπριανόMain Courses · 3h 45m · serves 8Hunkiar begienti, lamb in tomato sauce over smoked aubergine pureeLamb on Smoked Aubergine PureeHounkiar begienti Χουνκιάρ μπεγιεντίMain Courses · 2h 20m · serves 6

More meat and poultry

PorkChickenBeefCaul FatGoatLoukaniko SausageMinced MeatOffal and LiverRabbitRoosterTurkeyVeal