060Lamb on the spit

Method

Traditional Easter outdoor spit roast. Traditionally carved on large wooden boards directly outdoors and served communal style with wine and Easter breads.

You will need

• heavy stainless steel roasting spit with clamps or U-bolts
• outdoor charcoal spit trough
• hardwood charcoal
• trussing needle and food-safe wire or string
• basting brush or fresh rosemary sprig cluster

1. Wipe the lamb thoroughly dry inside and out with clean kitchen towels; do not wash with water. 10 min Ready when: carcass is dry to the touch
2. Mix the coarse salt, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of oregano, then rub this mixture thoroughly over the entire inside cavity and the outer skin. 15 min Ready when: meat is thoroughly and generously coated with seasoning
3. Thread the sturdy metal spit through the rear, along the spine inside the cavity, and out through the head, then fasten the spine firmly to the pole using heavy U-bolts and wire to prevent slipping. 20 min Ready when: spine is tightly fixed to the spit without wobble
4. Insert the crushed garlic cloves into the cavity, pull the belly flaps together, and sew the opening tightly shut using a trussing needle and kitchen string or clean wire. 15 min Ready when: belly is completely sewn shut
5. Light the charcoal in an outdoor trench or long trough and rake the embers so the heat is concentrated towards the shoulders and hind legs, leaving minimal charcoal directly under the delicate belly ribs. 20 min Ready when: coals are ash-covered and glowing steadily
6. Mount the spit high above the coals (roughly 40 to 50 cm) and turn continuously and rapidly for the first hour to cook through without scorching. 60 min Ready when: surface dries and begins to whiten slightly
7. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and remaining oregano in a bowl, then begin basting the turning lamb regularly using a herb bunch or silicone brush. 5 min Ready when: basting emulsion is glossy and blended
8. Lower the spit closer to the coals gradually over the next 3 to 4 hours, continuing to rotate and baste every 20 minutes, until the internal temperature at the thigh reaches 82°C (180°F). 200 min Ready when: meat pulls away from the leg joints and crackling skin blisters
9. Remove the spit from the fire, let the whole lamb rest on a wooden trestle table for 15 minutes, then cut away the wire and carve into generous portions. 15 min Ready when: juices settle before jointing

Tap a step to tick it off.

Make ahead and storing

The lamb is seasoned, threaded, and sewn onto the spit the evening before Easter Sunday and hung in a cool larder overnight.

Store carved meat tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Substitutions

• whole milk-fed kid goat (katsiki) for whole spring lamb, cleaned and dressed. Kid goat is leaner and widely preferred in many mountainous regions of the Peloponnese and Crete.

Common mistakes

• Placing dense embers directly beneath the thin ribs and flank.. The thin belly meat will burn to ash long before the thick hind legs and shoulders have cooked through.
• Failing to wire the backbone tightly to the spit rod.. As the meat cooks and softens, the lamb will spin loose on the spit rod rather than rotating with it.

Regional variants

• In Roumeli, coarse salt and pepper are the sole seasonings used, omitting all herbs until serving.
• In parts of Epirus, fresh sprigs of wild oregano or thyme are stuffed directly inside the cavity before stitching.

About the dish

Whole spit-roasted lamb is the quintessential centrepiece of Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday (Pascha). Originating primarily in the pastoral cultures of Roumeli (Central Greece), Epirus, and the Peloponnese, the ritual signifies the breaking of the Great Lent fast. Communities gather outdoors in courtyards from dawn around long open charcoal pits. The lamb is secured to a heavy spit, sewn closed, and rotated slowly for hours while being constantly basted with ladolemono until the skin crackles and the meat falls apart.

Found in all of Greece, Central Greece, Peloponnese, Epirus. Cooked for easter, panigiri feast.

Cousins elsewhere

• Jagnje na ražnju (Balkan). Whole roasted spit-turned lamb is widespread across Serbian and Macedonian festive culinary customs.
• Souvla (Cypriot). Cypriot souvla uses large bone-in cuts of lamb or pork on rotating skewers rather than an entire carcass.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

1264.1 kcal · protein 74.7 g · fat 106.3 g (saturated 44.7 g) · carbohydrate 2.9 g (sugars 0.2 g) · fibre 0.9 g · sodium 2038.1 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates, scaled by 0.45 for the bone and waste of a whole carcass) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. The pastoral Easter open-pit spit roast tradition of mainland Roumeli and the Peloponnese..

Products for this dish