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1
Pierce the leg of lamb all over with the point of a sharp knife and insert the slivers of garlic at different depths.
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2
Rub generously with salt and pepper.
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3
Put the prepared lamb, fat side up, in a large baking dish or roasting pan, and surround it with the sliced potatoes, onions, and tomatoes.
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4
Pour in 1/2 cup water, and sprinkle if you like with a little rigani or oregano.
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5
Preheat the oven to 425F.
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6
Put in the leg of lamb and reduce the heat immediately to 325F.
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7
Roast for about 2 1/2 hours, or until done to your liking, basting occasionally with the pan juices.
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8
Turn the vegetables over once during the cooking so that they cook evenly in the juices from the joint, and pour off excess fat.
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9
The joint should be very tender and juicy, and the vegetables quite soft.
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10
I like them practically disintegrating, but if you prefer them to be rather more firm, add them to the roast after about half an hours cooking, when the meat has already released some fat.
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11
Baste the vegetables when you baste the meat, and moisten occasionally with a little water if necessary.
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12
Let the meat rest in the turned-off oven with the door open for 15 minutes before serving.
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13
Remove the lamb to a boardit makes carving easier.
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14
You can of course cook the leg of lamb without the vegetables.
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15
Here is a sauce which you can pour on each serving as you hand it out: fry a handful of blanched, slivered almonds in a drop of oil till golden, add the defatted juices from the pan and a little water, and stir in 2 tablespoons black or golden raisins.
