We've talked about mastiha yesterday and I mentioned that the last 10 years mastiha is used in savoury recipes.
Mastiha health benefits are really big especially when it comes to gastritis problems or high cholesterol problems. Back in Greece my mother used to add some tears of mastiha when she was cooking fatty meats..
Well.., Lamb is a fatty meat and the addition of mastiha in this recipe helps to make the dish less heavy and adds a very nice and distinctive aroma..
Ingredients
600 - 700 gr lamb (leg) cut into portions
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 shallots chopped
4 garlic cloves
3 tears of mastiha smashed
2 carrots cut into sticks
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 cup celery root cut into chunks
The juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon of dry oregano
Salt and pepper
For the potatoes
2-3 potatoes cut into big chunks
4 tablespoons of olive oil
The juice from one orange
the juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons plain mustard
Salt and Pepper
How to make
Add some water in the kettle.
Use a large wide pot and place it over medium heat. Add the olive oil and when it's hot add the lamb and sear it on both sides. Do not rush to turn over the meat, we need to achieve the golden brown colour of taste..
When the lamb is tender and golden brown remove it from the pot and set aside, covered.
Add to the pot the onions, shallots and garlic. Season and stir until soften. Return the meat to the pan and add hot water until it reaches the middle of the meat and de-glaze the pot. Add the mastiha tears, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 420 degrees.
Add the patted dry potato chunks in a baking pan and add the olive oil, orange and lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir to coat them and bake the potatoes for 1 1/2 hour. Toss them one or two times while they are baking.
Back in the lamb, add the carrots, celery, celery root, juice of lemon, oregano and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes.
Serve the lamb with the potatoes and drizzle the mastiha sauce on top. You can also add some finely chopped chives on top..
Enjoy!!!