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1
For stuffing:
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2
Combine all ingredients and blend well.
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3
Cover and refrigerate.
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4
For pastry:
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5
Disolve sugar and yeast in warm water and let stand until foamy and proofed.
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6
Combine flour and salt in large bowl.
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7
Using your hands, rub butter into flour until it is absorbed.
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8
Make well in the center of flour and pour in yeast and milk.
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9
Still using hands,push flour from sides of bowl into center and mix to form dough.
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10
Knead several minutes until smooth.
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11
Place in lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat.
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12
Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in warm area until doubled, about 1 hour.
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13
For lamb:
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14
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
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15
Set butterflied lamb skin side down on working surface.
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16
Pound to flatten slightly.
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17
Mix butter,garlic,salt and pepper to a paste; rub half thoroughly into lamb.
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18
Spread with stuffing and reshape leg.
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19
Sew closed with string;tie crosswise at 1 inch intervals and twice around length to hold stuffing.
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20
Rub outside with remaining butter mixture, then rub with rosemary.
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21
Set on rack in roasting pan and roast 20 minutes.
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22
Reduce oven temperature to 350 and roast an additional 40 minutes.
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23
Let cool, then remove string and brush off excess rosemary.
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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.
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25
Lightly oil shallow roasting pan.
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26
Knead dough once again.
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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.
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28
Set lamb on one end of rectangle.
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29
Beat yolks with milk and brush some on edges of dough;fold dough over lamb.
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30
Press seams together; trim and reserve excess dough.
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31
Set seam side down in roasting pan and brush with some of yolk.
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32
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll excess dough into long thin ropes. Braid in threes to go around top perimeter of lamb.
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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.
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34
Brush decorations with yolk mixture.
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35
Bake until pastry sets, about 15 minutes.
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36
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes(use a meat thermometer to check doneness).
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37
Transfer to heated platter and garnish with fresh mint sprigs, if desired.
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38
Let stand several minutes before slicing.
