Pečenica — Serbian Paschal Roast Lamb

The centrepiece of Serbian Easter — a whole spring lamb roasted slowly on a rotating spit (ražanj)
over wood coals. The lamb is rubbed simply with salt, pepper, and beer; the wood smoke and slow
rotation do the rest. Home versions use a roasting pan but the spirit is the same: simple, serious meat.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (lamb)

SERVINGS: 10-12
TIME: 5-6 hours (on a spit); 3.5 hours (in oven)

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole young lamb, 12-15 kg (for the traditional spit version) — or 3.5 kg bone-in leg/shoulder for home cooks
- 200 ml lager beer
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed (for home version)
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika (for home version)
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (for home version)
- 1.5 kg potatoes, halved (for home version)

For serving:
- Kajmak (see separate recipe)
- Ajvar (roasted pepper spread)
- Pickled peppers and hot chillies
- Fresh onions and tomatoes
- Crusty country bread
- Rakija (plum or quince brandy)

METHOD (Home-oven version):
1. Bring lamb to room temperature, about 1 hour.
2. Make slits all over the lamb. Insert garlic slivers.
3. Whisk beer with oil. Rub all over the lamb, then season generously with salt, pepper, paprika, and rosemary.
4. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 200 ml water into the pan.
5. Preheat oven to 220C (425F). Roast 30 minutes for initial browning.
6. Reduce to 160C (325F). Continue roasting 2.5-3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices and occasionally with more beer.
7. After 90 minutes, add halved potatoes to the pan, tossing in pan juices.
8. Continue until internal temperature reaches 75C (170F) and meat falls easily from the bone.
9. Rest lamb under foil 20 minutes. Carve (or pull apart with forks).
10. Serve platter-style with accompaniments.

METHOD (Spit version, traditional):
1. Rub lamb inside and out with salt, pepper, and a thin coat of oil-beer mixture.
2. Thread on a sturdy spit. Secure with wire.
3. Build a hardwood fire (oak, beech, or apple). Let it burn down to steady red coals with minimal flame.
4. Begin rotating the spit slowly (30 RPM). Position about 40 cm above the coals.
5. Baste every 20 minutes with beer-and-oil mixture.
6. Cook 5-6 hours, adding fresh coals as needed. The skin should become deeply crisp and the meat should shred with a fork.

NOTES:
- Pečenica is a specifically Paschal tradition. In Serbian villages, the whole community gathers at someone's home for the spit-roasting — it is an all-day event.
- The wood smoke is the key to flavour. Propane-roasted lamb is not pečenica.
- Kajmak (Serbian clotted cream cheese) and ajvar (roasted red pepper spread) are the two essential accompaniments — pair with every bite.
- Begin drinking rakija in the late morning. Traditional Serbian Paschal hospitality.

NUTRITION (per serving of roast lamb, approximate):
Calories: 640 | Protein: 58 g | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Fat: 36 g | Fibre: 3 g