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Kleftiko: Dish of Thieves [Recipes Index] [World of Chefs] In Greek cuisine, we have some interesting dishes named after uncoventional groups, such as the "kleftiko" or the "dish of thieves" which is a very popular Greek dish. Kleftiko refers to dishes baked in paper, a practical cooking method that seals in all the delicious juices of the meat, fish or vegetables. According to the tale, thieves will prepare their meals this way, leaving them to cook slowly while they were practicing their professional skills. Upon their return, their supper would be tender, aromatic, and cooked to perfection! Who said that thieves have no taste? Ingredients:
Preparation: Tie kitchen string around each slice of boned lamb to keep it in shape. Saute the meat in a heavy skillet using three table spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Drain the meat on paper towels. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut out six 12 inch squares of parchment paper (my family used this to recycle our daily newspaper this way). Fold each piece in half and trim the two outer corners to make 6folded ovals. Open up the papers and divide the meat among them, placing it in the center of the bottom half of the paper. Remove the string from the boneless lamb. Push the garlic slivers into creases in the meat, season generously with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with oregano, lemon juice and the remaining 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Fold the top halves of the papers over the meat and roll the edges up tightly to make neat packets that will not leak. Arrange on a large baking sheet and bake for ten minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes. (If you are using boneless lamb you need to bake for only 20 minutes.) Place the packets on warm dinner plates. Carefully open each one by cutting the four corners with scissors and pulling back the edges of the paper.
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