Perfect recipe for the holidays

INGREDIENTS

Boneless leg of lamb, about 4–4½ lbs.
Peloponnese Grape Leaves, rinsed & patted dry
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
6–7 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
3½–4 oz Greek feta cheese
2–4 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon each of dried rosemary and thyme
Salt & pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a large piece of baking parchment into a large, oven-proof dish or Dutch oven. Make sure that there is enough paper to completely wrap up the lamb.
Line the bottom of the dish with the grape leaves (stem-side up), overlapping them on top of the parchment paper. The leaf-covered area must be large enough to cover the sides of the meat when the parchment is pulled up to cover the lamb.
Make the seasoning paste: In the blender, combine the extra virgin olive oil, sundried tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Pulse to create a thick, aromatic paste. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Massage the paste into the meat and place on top of the grape leaves. Pull up the parchment paper on all sides to make a snug, leafy “nest” for the lamb. Twist top to close (you may need to secure with cooking twine).
Bake at 425 degrees for one hour. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 1½ hours or until done to liking. When done, remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Carefully unwrap the parchment, watching out for hot steam.
Either remove from parchment/leaf package and serve on a platter or – for a more rustic look – present the whole package onto a serving platter.