lamb kleftico and what......?

[sweetheart]

I am cooking lamb kleftico for the first time tonight and wondered what I should serve it with?

Rice, roast potatos or something else......?

Bread, we usually have, along with a leafy salad.

Or try

Trigger happy on the posting there.

Try lemon potatoes :

2lb potatoes cut long and thin, into about 4 pieces lengthwise. Chuck in gratin dish, in one layer, throw in a couple of finely chopped onions and 6 cloves of garlic, whole, with a handful of fresh thyme or oregano. Add 10fl oz really good olive oil and the juice of two lemons, rolled hard before cutting to release max juice. Add enough water to barely cover, cook 45mins 200/400/G6, turn, and cook another 45.

Lish, citrusy, and cuts through the richness of the lamb.

Still need bread, though

I'm not really a "bread with dinner" sort of person - it never really seems to finish off a meal. I kind of see it as bread is a side dish not an accompanyment.

The lemon potatoes sound nice but I don't have most of the ingredients in. Whats a gratin dish? Plus I'm a bit short on time this evening so the lemon pots take a bit too long but thanks for the reply - I'll have to try them another time if the kleftico goes down well.

sweet potato wedges, roast veg (peppers, toms etc) & tzatziki?

ummmm yum - that sounds nice - I did think about making sweet potato mash. I don't have any of those in either - oh dear looks like I need to pop to the shop!

I understand the aversion - my mum's the same - but it's one of those dishes that lends itself to warm rustic bread torn in chunks and eaten alongside, and I feel you don't really need another carb in there.

If you're not trying to recreate a taverna in Paxos, mash with a dash of lemon would probably work beautifully.

thanks snigger - I do have wierd food rules, I think if I served up a main dish with bread everyone at home would feel like part of the dinner was missing but I agree about not putting another carb with it.

I'm half greek cypriot and we wouldn't serve kleftico with bread, so your not being weird

Would serve with fried potatoes and my cypriot customs and tradition book says fried potato or macaroni

bruffin - is that plain macaroni - i.e not macaroni cheese?!?!?

And fried potatos - chips?!?!?!

Fried potatoes my nan made were either sort of huge chips or little new pototoes fried whole or halved.

looking at the book I think by macaroni they may mean pasta.

It's a lovely book called Kopiaste. I bought in cyprus, it covers all the food traditions in cyprus and is aimed at children of people who had emmigrated to keep the traditions alive.

yes I think I would go saute potatoes - par boil then fry. yum.

where did you get your kleftico recipe OP? have you made it before?

'smashed' potatoes roasted with garlic and rosemary

Par boil the potatoes then shake them in the pan until they start to fall apart. Then roast with garlic and rosemary

I got the recipe from a supermarket magazine ages ago - I have a file that I keep them all in and found ti by chance the other day.

I have to say I was really looking forward to this and it was utterly dissapointing. There was too much liquid with the lamb and it was watery - didn't thinken up at all, not sure why!

I made roasted sweet potato wedges and roasted veg which I put too much oil on and they went soggy rather than crunchy.

Oh and to top it off the kids took one look at it and refused to eat it so I ended up cooking a 2nd meal for them before bed time!

Oh well - better luck next time!