Ted Christou is a Greek American who has made a spit-roasted whole lamb at Easter for the past 20 years. His recipe for a whole lamb stuffed with an herb and wine filling produces a fabulous result and an impressive centerpiece for the Greek Easter celebration.
The spit apparatus is called an ovelia (οβελία), say: oh-veh-LEE-yah.
Ingredients:
- THE BASICS
- 1 whole lamb, dressed (about 24-30 pounds)
- 3 bags charcoal plus 1-2 bags hard wood
- .
- LAMB PREP
- 10 lemons
- 4 heads of garlic, 2 heads peeled and slivered
- 2 cups of olive (or more, if needed)
- 1 bottle of red wine (plus more for basting sauce - see directions)
- 1 bottle of balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- fresh flat-leaf parsley
- fresh and dried basil
- fresh rosemary
- dried Greek oregano (rigani)
- about 2 loaves of white bread
- .
- OTHER
- twine
Preparation:
Juice all lemons but one and pour into bowl and set aside.
Skewer and secure lamb.
Slice a lemon in half and rub lamb with lemon inside and out. Then rub with olive oil.
Shake sea salt, pepper, oregano, dried basil, and chopped parsley over wet lamb.
Insert slivered garlic deep into meat by making incisions in all meaty areas.
Fill lamb with white bread, rosemary sprigs, fresh basil and parsley, 2-3 lemon rinds and then pour in 1 bottle of wine. Close belly with twine.
Wash hands before making the basting sauce.
Basting sauce:
In food processor mix garlic, fresh basil, parsley, rosemary, and lemon juice. Add mixture to 50% wine and 50% olive oil. Then add 1 bottle of balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing.
Roasting:
- Light coals and distribute so there are two piles on either side of the lamb at the level of the shoulders and legs.
- Cook at the lowest level for 1 hour then begin basting every 15 min.
- Add charcoal to keep coal temp at about 8 sec ALWAYS less than 10 sec. (hold hand over fire at the level of the spit and count 1 one thousand 2 one thousand, etc.)
- Add hardwoods to keep a steady stream of smoke over the 4-5 hours of roasting time.
Set the spit at highest level or remove when leg/shoulder temp is 145° and while the meat sets trim some skin and enjoy!!!
Notes from Ted Christou
"The lamb is between 24 to 30 lbs depending on the size of the party and we feed 25 to 30 people with the usual Greek pile of leftovers. Two loaves of white bread is enough to soak up the fat and allow the wine to steam the meat from the inside."
