Stuffed Leg Of Lamb Wrapped In Pastry(bouty Arniou Ghemisto Zim)

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3/4 lb ground lean lamb
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon orange peel, finely minced
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature
• 1 (5 -6 lb) leg of lamb, trimmed and boned
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon milk

Recipe

• 1 for stuffing:.
• 2 combine all ingredients and blend well.
• 3 cover and refrigerate.
• 4 for pastry:.
• 5 disolve sugar and yeast in warm water and let stand until foamy and proofed.
• 6 combine flour and salt in large bowl.
• 7 using your hands, rub butter into flour until it is absorbed.
• 8 make well in the center of flour and pour in yeast and milk.
• 9 still using hands,push flour from sides of bowl into center and mix to form dough.
• 10 knead several minutes until smooth.
• 11 place in lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat.
• 12 cover with plastic wrap and let stand in warm area until doubled, about 1 hour.
• 13 for lamb:.
• 14 preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• 15 set butterflied lamb skin side down on working surface.
• 16 pound to flatten slightly.
• 17 mix butter,garlic,salt and pepper to a paste; rub half thoroughly into lamb.
• 18 spread with stuffing and reshape leg.
• 19 sew closed with string;tie crosswise at 1 inch intervals and twice around length to hold stuffing.
• 20 rub outside with remaining butter mixture, then rub with rosemary.
• 21 set on rack in roasting pan and roast 20 minutes.
• 22 reduce oven temperature to 350 and roast an additional 40 minutes.
• 23 let cool, then remove string and brush off excess rosemary.
• 24 * lamb can be prepared ahead to this point. wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours.don't start the pastry until you take the lamb out of the refrigerator.
• 25 lightly oil shallow roasting pan.
• 26 knead dough once again.
• 27 roll out enough dough on lightly floured surface to make rectangle 1/4 inch thick, large enough to completely enclose lamb with a 1 inch overlap.
• 28 set lamb on one end of rectangle.
• 29 beat yolks with milk and brush some on edges of dough;fold dough over lamb.
• 30 press seams together; trim and reserve excess dough.
• 31 set seam side down in roasting pan and brush with some of yolk.
• 32 preheat oven to 450 degrees. roll excess dough into long thin ropes. braid in threes to go around top perimeter of lamb.
• 33 remaining dough can also be made into smaller and thinner ropes and/or worked into more intricate designs such as leaves,tiny birds, flowers and coiled snakes inside the encircling braid, all symbols of easter in greece.
• 34 brush decorations with yolk mixture.
• 35 bake until pastry sets, about 15 minutes.
• 36 reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes(use a meat thermometer to check doneness).
• 37 transfer to heated platter and garnish with fresh mint sprigs, if desired.
• 38 let stand several minutes before slicing.