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Arni Psito or Katsiki Psito (Roasted Lamb or Goat)

Arni Psito or Katsiki Psito (Roasted Lamb or Goat)

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Arni Psito pronounciation “ar-KNEE psee-TOH” is roasted meat cooked in the oven.  It could be made with lamb or goat and it is the perfect Sunday meal.

Below you will find how we made it in Cyprus and how we make it in Greece.

Traditionally, in Cyprus they used to make it in wood fired ovens which every household had one in their yard.  That made the roast amazing.

However, we now make it at home ovens, which is very easy to prepare and stilll very delicious.  

In Cyprus we eat a lot of lamb and I remember that this used to be our Sunday lunch.  

dad and mom image

My mother used to go to church every Sunday early in the morning so my father used to cook a lamb roast on Sundays so that my mother would not worry about cooking.

Although my father lived in England many years before we joined him, so he must have known how to cook, this is the only meal I can remember my father preparing for us.

However, I must say that it tasted delicious. Over years, our tastes do change and I rarely cook lamb any more.

The Cypriot roast

The Cypriot roasted lamb differs from the Greek one, because to start with there is no oregano in the Cypriot one and we never used olive oil because Greek olive oil had a strong tastes.

We usually used peanut oil or Spry (a vegetable shortening).

Apart from the lamb and potatoes, he used to chop some onions, slices of tomatoes and carrots and seasoned it with salt, pepper and cinnamon.

You may think that cinnamon is an odd ingredient in a roast but a light sprinkle adds a wonderful aroma to the dish!

I prefer baby goat meat,  which is lean and only cook it a few times a year. Whenever I make “the Cypriot psito” I prefer to make it with goat and very rarely with lamb.

When our children used to live with us, I did not put  tomatoes, as my son didn’t like them but now that we are living alone, of course I always add the tomatoes.

Also, living in Greece for so many decades, I love oregano and I now add some as well.

Note: Instead of covering the meat with an aluminium tent, you can also cook it in a gastra, which is similar to a Dutch oven.

Pstio with tambouli tabbouleh and tomato chutney image

Arni or Katsiki Psito (Roasted Goat or lamb) - Cypriot Recipe

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Psito pronounciation "psee-TOH" is roasted meat cooked in the oven. It could be made with lamb, goat, pork or chicken meat.

Ingredients

  • 2 legs of goat or lamb (about 3 kilos)
  • 2 large onions, peeled and cut into big slices
  • 20 - 24 small potatoes, peeled and slotted with a knife
  • 2 - 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely sliced lengthwise
  • 1 cup of water
  • 3/4 cup of spry (vegetable shortening) or peanut oil (I now use olive oil)
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 - 3 ripe tomatoes sliced
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Wash the meat thoroughly and place it in a big baking tin.
  2. Put the potatoes around the meat; add some salt, pepper and cinnamon.
  3. Peel and cut the onions and well as the carrots and place in between the potatoes.
  4. Add the oil, water and lemon juice.
  5. Finally add the tomatoes on top and sprinkle some more seasoning on top.
  6. Bake in a preheated to 180o C for about 2 hours, turning
    once  If the potatoes seem to be sticking on the baking pan, add some
    more water.
  7. Roast until golden on both sides.
  8. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

If you like you may cook it covered under an aluminium tent. After two hours,
remove the tent and continue roasting until golden on both sides,

Instead of covering the meat with an aluminium tent, you can also cook it in a gastra, which is similar to a Dutch oven.



Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 587Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 74mgSodium 994mgCarbohydrates 58gFiber 7gSugar 6gProtein 33g

Did you make this recipe?

Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

Arni or Katsiki Psito (Roasted Lamb or Goat) – Greek recipe

The Greek recipe for roasted lamb or goat is similar but with less ingredients and different flavour.

lamb psito with baby potatoes image

Here we season the meat with salt, pepper and oregano and garlic is added into the meat. Olive oil and lemon juice are added to the road, which is the prevailing flavour, which gives a different taste to the meat and potatoes.

Both recipes are equally delicious but with a different taste. It is up to you to choose which recipe you will make!

lamb psito with baby potatoes image

Arni or Katsiki Psito (Roasted Goat or lamb) - Greek recipe

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Arni Psito pronounciation "ar-KNEE psee-TOH" is roasted meat cooked in the oven. It could be made with lamb or goat and it is the perfect Sunday meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 legs of goat or lamb (about 3 kilos)
  • 2 kilos baby potatoes, slotted with a knife
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped in slices
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Wash the meat thoroughly and place it in a big baking tin.
  2. Make slots in the meat and add pieces of garlic.
  3. Wash and scrub the baby potatoes well and make a slot in each one  Put them around the meat 
  4. Season both meat and potatoes with some salt, pepper and oregano. Rub the spices on the meat and potatoes.
  5. Add the olive oil, water and lemon juice.
  6. Bake in a preheated at 180o C for about 2 hours, turning once  If the potatoes seem to be sticking on the baking pan, add some more water.
  7. Roast until golden on both sides.

Notes

Optionally, you can substitute some of the lemon juice with Seville Orange juice. You can also add some orange juice and a couple sprigs of rosemary.

If using big potatoes, after peeling them cut them in the middle lengthwise and then cut each pieces diagonally into wedges, about 3 - 4 cm thick.

potato wedges image

Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 569Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 74mgSodium 982mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 6gSugar 3gProtein 32g

Did you make this recipe?

Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

Collage lamb or goat psito image

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!

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Jenny

Saturday 23rd of April 2011

Thank you Thank you Thank you! I think you just saved Pascha lunch tomorrow. Now if I can just find a big pan ...

Ivy

Tuesday 26th of April 2011

Christos Anesti. Hope you enjoyed it!

Laurie Constantino

Tuesday 29th of January 2008

mmmm - i love baby goat, it is so very tasty. wish i had some now!

Peter M

Monday 28th of January 2008

Ivy, the roast looks delicious and the ingredients are classic for lamb or goat.

"Exo parapano me ton gio...akou no tomatoes"!

JennDZ - The Leftover Queen

Monday 28th of January 2008

I love lamb (and goat for that matter). This sounds so good Ivy, I would be a very happy person if I could eat this every Sunday!

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