3 pound bone-in lamb leg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
20 whole cloves
salt and pepper
water

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut 3/4" slices into the fatty side of the lamb leg. Rub lamb with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper, oregano and cinnamon, placing cloves into the slices in the flesh.
3. Place lamb on a roasting rack into the oven until the outside is well seared, about 20 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and add a bit of water to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until a meat thermometer can be inserted into the center and register 140 degrees.
5. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, you can use the pan drippings to make a gravy or as jus mixed with a bit of fresh mint, salt and pepper.

Makes 8 servings

1 small eggplant, 1/4" thick slices sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 ounces feta, crumbled
salt

1. Lightly salt the slices of eggplant and set on a paper towel for about half an hour. Dab to dry.
2. Preheat oven broiler.
3. Combine olive oil, garlic and oregano and lightly brush onto the eggplant slices. Arrange on a baking sheet and place about 6" away from the broiler and lightly brown.
4. Turn eggplant slices over and brush with remaining olive oil mixture. Top with feta cheese and return to the broiler until cheese is lightly browned and eggplant is done.

Makes 4 servings

I'd mentioned that I bought a leg of lamb yesterday to try and fill the gaping hole of disappointment for not getting a leg of pork. Wasting the Apple Chicken wasn't totally in vain since it gave me the opportunity to roast another chunk of meat and not having to worry about the leftovers! I also made a trip to a wholesale kitchen supply store today and invested in a bunch of things, one being a roasting pan. So, what better opportunity to break that in than to make a roast leg of lamb?

Since I already made a typical Braised Lamb Leg I decided to go in a similar vein that I was attempting yesterday and use cinnamon and cloves to flavor the lamb, roasting it first at a high temperature to sear the skin (in this case, crisp the fat) and then finish it at a much lower temperature. The Cinnamon Clove Lamb Leg turned out a lot better than the chicken because I didn't forget about it. The flavor was somewhat similar to an over-spiced Moussaka. I think this would've gone over a lot better if I had braised the leg longer, but I was getting hungry and impatient and sliced off a couple pieces anyway.

I normally make no mention of wine or anything here, mostly because I know I have no idea what I'm really talking about, but I picked up a bottle of wine that I actually thought went quite nicely with the meat, which is something I've never achieved before. It's called Dunsbury Bin 76, which is an Australian red wine featuring berry and spice undertones. Noting it here is moreso for my benefit than yours, but you're welcome to try it, of course.

Anyhow, I mixed up some Greek Mashed Potatoes to go with it, as well as Broiled Feta Eggplant. Originally I was going to do an elaborate eggplant dish, but I got lazy and went with this instead. I have a feeling I either used too much olive oil or I salted them too long (or at all?) because the flavor was good, the outside was crisp but the rest of the eggplant flesh was soggy and not so pleasant. Eggplant is tricky, I tell you!