Greek Easter Offal Roast (Kokoretsi)
Κοκορέτσι KokoretsiSay it: koh-koh-RET-see
Kokoretsi is the great Greek Easter offal roast: pieces of lamb liver, heart, thymus and kidney threaded onto a long skewer, bound tightly in lamb intestines and cooked slowly over coals — or, in home kitchens, in a hot oven — until the outside is burnished and crackling and the inside stays juicy and rich. It is eaten on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, carved into thick rounds and showered with lemon. The flavour is savoury and faintly gamey, mellowed by oregano and lemon: a dish of resourcefulness that wastes nothing.
Greek Easter Offal Roast (Kokoretsi)
Κοκορέτσι, Kokoretsi
Pronounced koh-koh-RET-see
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 2 hr
- Total
- 3 hr
- Level
- Advanced
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the roll
For seasoning and basting
Method
Clean the intestines thoroughly. rinse them under cold running water, then run water through each strand and rub with coarse salt and a little lemon juice. Repeat two or three times until the water runs clear and there is no strong smell, then leave them in cold salted water for 20 minutes and drain well.
Pat the liver, heart and thymus dry, trim away any gristle or membranes, and cut into even 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks so everything cooks at the same rate.
In a bowl, toss the offal with the garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp oregano, half the salt and the pepper, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Thread the pieces onto a long, sturdy skewer (or two parallel skewers), alternating the different offals and pressing them together firmly into a compact cylinder about 12 inches (30 cm) long.
Wind the cleaned intestines around the skewer in a tight, overlapping spiral, working from one end to the other and back again, until the meat is completely enclosed in a neat, even layer. Tie the ends with kitchen string.
Rub the outside with 1 tbsp olive oil, the remaining oregano and the rest of the salt, then set the skewer on a rack over a roasting pan with a splash of water in the bottom.
Roast at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes, then lower to 350°F (175°C) and roast for another 45 minutes.
Mix the remaining olive oil with the lemon juice and baste the roll every 20 minutes for a further 45–60 minutes, until the casing is deep golden, blistered and crisp and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with clear juices (165°F / 74°C inside).
Rest for 10 minutes, then slice into thick rounds and spoon over any remaining lemon and pan juices.
Regional variant: Kokoretsi on the spit (Κοκορέτσι στη σούβλα)
The classic Easter method: the assembled roll is tied between two forked posts and turned over a charcoal fire for 3–4 hours, starting further from the coals and moving closer as it cooks. Baste constantly with the lemon, olive oil and oregano mixture and turn steadily so the intestines crisp evenly all round. The result is smokier and crisper than the oven version, and it is usually carved straight off the spit.
Cook's notes
- Ask your butcher to clean and prepare the lamb intestines — it saves an hour of fiddly work and they will be properly trimmed.
- Wrap firmly but do not stretch the intestines too tight, or they will split as the meat shrinks during roasting.
- Keep a little water in the roasting pan and top it up as it evaporates; this stops the fat from smoking and burning.
Serve with
Thick slices of country bread, tomatoes, olives and a glass of tsipouro, ouzo or retsina.
Make ahead and storage
The raw roll can be assembled a day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Leftovers keep 2 days chilled and are best reheated in a hot oven to crisp the outside again.
