Ttavas Lefkaritikos: Cypriot slow-baked lamb and rice
A slow-baked Lefkara clay-pot dish of lamb, rice, tomato, onion, potato, and assertive cumin.
Adapted for the home kitchen from documented Cypriot recipe references
Ingredients
Written for a 6 L pot
Units
Temperature
Servings
- 1 1/6 kg lamb shoulder, 5 cm pieces rounded
- 350 g short-grain rice, rinsed rounded
- 600 g onions, sliced rounded
- 500 g potatoes, large chunks rounded
- 500 g tomatoes, grated rounded
- 35 g tomato paste rounded
- 15 g ground cumin rounded
- 3 g ground cinnamon rounded
- 80 ml olive oil rounded
- 900 ml hot water or lamb stock rounded
- 12 g fine salt rounded
Method
- Heat the oven to 170°C. Season the lamb with two-thirds of the salt, the cumin, and the cinnamon.
- Layer the onion, rice, potatoes, and lamb in a large lidded casserole or clay pot. Mix the tomato, tomato paste, oil, stock, and remaining salt and pour it over.
- Cover tightly and bake for 2 hours without stirring.
- Uncover, check that rice is tender and lamb yielding, and add a little hot water only if dry. Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes to brown the top.
- Rest covered for 20 minutes so the rice settles before serving.
Notes
- Cumin is a defining flavour here and should be clearly noticeable.
- A tight lid prevents the rice drying before the lamb becomes tender.
Sources consulted
Good with
- Cypriot baklava with almonds, walnuts, and citrus
- Dáktyla: Cypriot almond pastry fingers
- Greek salad with sardines
- Soft Greek pita: pocketless and stovetop-cooked
Sources consulted
From Christoph Mayer