Preparation:
Serves: 20 Oven temperature: 180 C (350F) Cooking time: 4-5 hours
Wipe lamb inside and out with a damp cloth. Rub cavity and outside of lamb with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and leave aside until stuffing is prepared.
Trim roots from spinach and remove discolored and damaged leaves. Wash spinach in several changes of water, drain well and chop coarsely.
In a large deep pan (not aluminum) gently fry spring onions in oil until soft, add spinach and stir over heat until it wilts. Stir in washed rice, cover pan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes until most of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and cool. Break up feta into small chunks and add to spinach mixture with herbs. Mix well, taste, then add salt if necessary and a generous grinding of pepper. Blend thoroughly.
Partly sew up the cavity with white string, pack stuffing in through opening and finish sewing up the cavity. Push fore shanks back towards body and tie in position, passing string over back of carcass. Tie back legs, leaving them a little apart - tying will prevent them splaying outwards. Rub outside again with lemon juice, salt and pepper and place on a rack set in a large catering-size baking dish.
Combine melted butter with olive oil and brush half of this over the lamb or kid. Cover dish with large sheets of foil, sealing joins with double folds. Press foil under edges of dish to seal completely.
Bake in a moderate oven for 4-5 hours. After 2 hours lift foil and brush meat with butter-oil mixture. Cook for further 1 1/2 to 2 hours, remove foil, brush again and cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until meat is cooked through and browned. Remove from oven, cover with foil and a thick cloth and leave to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Lift lamb or kid onto a large wooden board, remove string and spoon stuffing onto a platter. Turn the carcass onto its back and chop along backbone from the inside with a cleaver. Then chop each half into chunks and pile onto platters. Meat on legs may be carved into slices. |
