Agnello alla Lucana
Tender lamb pieces baked in a dish with sliced potatoes, sweet onions, and sharp pecorino cheese. A fragrant Lucanian Easter classic.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 610 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking dish or terracotta tiella
- •Chef knife
- •Cutting board
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Aluminium foil
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- fat
- 30 g
- carbs
- 34 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 610 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan).
- 2
Rub the baking dish with a thin film of olive oil.
- 3
Toss the lamb chunks in a bowl with half the olive oil, rosemary, salt, and black pepper.
- 4
Arrange half the sliced potatoes and onions in the base of the prepared dish.
- 5
Scatter half the grated pecorino over the potato layer.
- 6
Place the seasoned lamb pieces and crushed garlic cloves over the vegetables.
- 7
Layer the remaining potatoes and onions on top, then sprinkle over the rest of the pecorino and olive oil.
- 8
Pour the white wine carefully into the corner of the dish to avoid washing off the cheese.
- 9
Cover the dish securely with aluminium foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- 10
Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and golden brown.
- 11
Rest the dish for 10 minutes before serving at the table.
Chef's tips
Slice the potatoes to a uniform thickness so they cook at the same rate as the lamb. Using bone-in lamb yields far more savoury depth in the pan juices than boneless cuts. If the top begins to brown too fast after uncovering, loosely lay the foil back over without sealing it.
Ingredient substitutions
- Pecorino di Filiano → Pecorino Romano or Canestrato Pugliese
- dry white wine → equal amount of light vegetable stock with a squeeze of lemon juice
Storage
Keep leftover lamb and potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat covered with foil in an oven preheated to 180°C (160°C fan) for 15 minutes until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cutting the potato slices too thick, which leaves them hard while the meat overcooks.
- •Pouring the wine directly over the top, which rinses away the grated cheese crust.
- •Skipping the initial foil covering, which dries out the lamb before it becomes tender.
Serving suggestions
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