🍇 Stuffed Lamb with Graviera in Vine Leaves and Grape Sauce

🌿 Lamb, vine leaves, Samian wine and island aromas

Stuffed lamb with graviera and feta is a rich dish combining tender lamb with herbs, cheese and the flavours of the Samian vineyard.

The boneless leg of lamb is opened out into a large piece, spread with a mixture of mustard, onion, garlic and mint, and filled with graviera and crumbled feta.

It is then wrapped in vine leaves, slowly roasted over vine branches with dry white wine of Samos, and served in slices with a rich sauce made from the roasting juices, wine and grapes.

🥩 Prepare the lamb

Lay the boneless leg of lamb open on the work surface so that it can later be rolled.

Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides.

Sprinkle with oregano and gently rub it into the meat so that the flavour is evenly distributed.

🌿 Prepare the aromatic mixture

Place the onion, garlic, mustard, mint and a little olive oil in a food processor.

Blend until you have a thick aromatic paste.

Spread it generously over the entire inner surface of the lamb.

🧀 Add the cheeses

Cut the graviera into thick sticks.

Arrange them lengthwise over the meat and add the crumbled feta.

Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

The filling should run along the length of the lamb so that each slice contains both meat and cheese.

🍃 Arrange the vine leaves

Lay a large sheet of aluminium foil on the work surface and place two sheets of baking paper on top.

Arrange the blanched vine leaves side by side, slightly overlapping, to form one continuous layer.

Place the stuffed lamb on top of the vine leaves.

🌀 Roll the lamb

Carefully roll the meat into a tight cylinder.

As you roll, the vine leaves should completely cover the outer surface.

Wrap securely with the baking paper and aluminium foil so the roll keeps its shape while roasting.

🌿 Prepare the roasting tray with vine branches

Arrange the vine branches across the bottom of a roasting tray.

Place the wrapped lamb on top.

The branches keep the meat slightly raised from the base of the tray and add another element of the vineyard to the cooking process.

🍷 Add the wine

Pour the dry white wine of Samos into the roasting tray.

Add a little water to maintain enough moisture during the long cooking time.

🔥 Slow-roast

Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C for approximately 3 hours.

The slow cooking allows the lamb to become tender while the aromas of the vine leaves, cheeses, herbs and Samian wine combine.

Towards the end, check that the meat is tender throughout.

🍇 Prepare the grape sauce

Transfer the roasting juices from the tray to a small saucepan.

Add the extra white wine of Samos and the grapes.

Simmer over medium heat until the sauce has reduced by approximately half and the flavours have concentrated.

🥄 Thicken the sauce

Dissolve the cornflour in a little cold water.

Gradually add it to the sauce while stirring continuously.

Cook for a little longer until the sauce becomes smooth and lightly thickened.

🍽️ Serving

Leave the lamb to rest for a few minutes after roasting.

Slice it carefully into thick pieces so that the graviera and feta filling is visible in the centre, surrounded by the layer of vine leaves.

Serve with the warm grape sauce and a little of the roasting juices.

It pairs beautifully with roasted potatoes, oven-baked vegetables or a simple potato purée.