Ingredients
- 1 (4 to 5 pounds) crown roast of lamb
- 2 cloves garlic, slivered
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small eggplant, about a pound
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- ½ cup minced onion
- 1 rib celery, minced fine
- ¼ cup minced parsley
- 1 pound ground lean lamb
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ cup raisins
- 8 black calamata olives, pitted and chopped
- ½ cup pine nuts or walnuts
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice or cooked orzo
- Calamata olives for garnish
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
1968 calories; 182 grams fat; 79 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 75 grams monounsaturated fat; 16 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 57 grams protein; 316 milligrams cholesterol; 695 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
6 to 8 servings
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pat meat dry. Make incisions all over the roast and insert garlic slivers. Rub with 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and lemon juice. Put meat in roasting pan.
- Peel and cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let stand for 15 minutes, then rinse and dry on paper towels. Saute in hot oil until golden on all sides, then remove from pan. Add onion and cook until wilted, then add celery and cook until soft. Add parsley and ground meat. Saute, separating with a fork, until golden brown. Add cinnamon, cardomom, raisins, chopped olives, walnuts or pine nuts, lemon peel, rice and cooked eggplant. Mix lightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon mixture into the roast. Wrap ends of bones with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before carving. Remove aluminum foil and decorate ends of bones with pitted olives.
Dining and Cooking