Are you looking for an easy way to cook lamb that is tender, succulent and melts in your mouth? You have to try this very traditional Turkish recipe, especially if you're cooking for a crowd. Turkish roasted lamb, or "kuzu tandir" (koo-ZOO' tahn-DUHR') is, in my opinion, the most heavenly way to enjoy lamb there is.
The only extra ingredients are olive oil, salt and lemon juice, which are rubbed into the meat for several minutes before cooking.
This dish gets its name from the ancient, central Asian way of cooking a whole lamb over coals in an underground pit. But today, cooks all over Turkey get similar results in their oven or even on the stovetop.
One whole lamb leg (the drumstick and thigh portions) will comfortably feed four. For more guests, simply double or triple the recipe and use a larger oven tray or split the meat into two trays.
This dish goes best with Turkish rice pilaf with orzo, and a salad, plus a side of creamy, plain yogurt.
Try this recipe for Turkish roasted lamb, or "kuzu tandir," and enjoy good lamb at it's very simple best.
Photo © Elizabeth Taviloglu, 2013