Australian Lamb Marsala With Braised Winter Squash Food

AUSTRALIAN LAMB MARSALA WITH BRAISED WINTER SQUASH

Steps:

• Trim the chops, season to taste and dredge in flour. Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan and add chops. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium high heat or until chops are well browned. Pour in wine, broth and mushrooms. Reduce heat and slow braise, covered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until lamb is tender. You may need 2 pans for this, or sear in batches then stack in a larger pan for braising, rotating chops during cooking. Remove meat from pan, cover with foil. Continue to simmer sauce on a higher heat until thickened to desired consistency. Return lamb to pan with the sauce and heat through, spooning sauce over chops. While lamb is braising, cook the squash. Heat olive oil in a separate, non-stick pan and add shallot. Cook for 1 minute, add squash, and stir for additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Add broth and turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Serve lamb marsala over the braised squash.

LAMB MARSALA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the wine, garlic and oregano; set aside. Rub oil over lamb, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan; spoon some wine mixture over roast. Set aside remaining wine mixture., Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°), basting occasionally with some remaining wine mixture. Remove from the oven; cover loosely with foil for 10-15 minutes., Meanwhile, pour pan drippings into a measuring cup; skim fat. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, saute mushrooms until tender. Add pan drippings and any remaining wine mixture; heat through. Slice lamb and serve with mushroom sauce.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH WINTER SQUASH AND RED CHARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add lamb; cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add 1 tablespoon butter to drippings in pot. Add onion, carrots, parsnips, thyme and garlic. Sauté until vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add wine; boil until reduced almost to glaze, about 4 minutes. Return lamb to pot, arranging in single layer. Add stock, orange, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; bring to boil. Place pot in oven. Braise lamb uncovered until tender, turning and basting often, about 2 hours 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rub cut sides of squash with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange squash, skin side down, on baking sheet. Roast on sheet alongside lamb until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Scrape squash from skins into bowl; add nutmeg and 2 tablespoons butter. Mash with fork until almost smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer lamb to plate. Strain braising liquid into bowl; spoon off fat, if desired. Return liquid to pot. Add fresh fennel, orange peel and 1 teaspoon fennel seeds. Simmer until fennel is tender and sauce is thick enough to coat spoon, about 15 minutes. Return lamb to sauce.
• Rewarm lamb shanks, covered, over medium-low heat, about 15 minutes. Rewarm squash in saucepan over low heat, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
• Chard and final preparation:
• While lamb and squash heat, cut out center stem from chard leaves; discard stems. Coarsely tear leaves. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add chard and toss until chard wilts, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide squash and chard among 4 plates. Arrange lamb atop vegetables; spoon sauce with fennel over.

BRAISED LAMB WITH SQUASH AND BRANDIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Place the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Halve the squash lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds and discard them. Rub the flesh of the squash with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt. Place 3 sprigs each of thyme and sage on a small baking sheet. Place the cut side of the squash directly on top of the herbs. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the quartered shallots cut-side down and cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid scorching. Season with salt and transfer to a plate. Set aside.
• Pat the lamb dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pot over medium-high. Cook the lamb on both sides until browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Work in batches if necessary.
• Add the minced shallots and garlic to the pan, season with salt and stir to coat with the pan drippings. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and their juices, then add the stock or water and bring to a boil. Return the lamb shanks to the pot and add the remaining thyme and sage.
• Cover the pot with a lid or a piece of foil and move the pot to the bottom rack of the oven. Place the squash on the top rack. Bake the squash until the flesh is tender and a thin knife can be easily inserted, about 75 to 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Continue to cook the lamb until the meat is tender enough to pull with a fork, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours total.
• Scoop out the squash with a spoon and place on a serving plate, then transfer the lamb to the plate and cover to keep warm. Remove the braised tomatoes from the lamb cooking liquid and discard along with any excess fat.
• Set the pot over medium heat and reduce the liquid to about 3/4 of its volume, about 5 minutes. Add the browned shallots and brandied fruit. Cook until shallots are tender and sauce is warmed through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the lamb and squash and garnish with mint leaves. Serve with steamed rice, couscous or thick slices of a crusty sourdough loaf.

AUSTRALIAN LAMB MARSALA WITH BRAISED WINTER SQUASH

Steps:

• 1. Trim the chops, season to taste and dredge in flour. Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan and add chops. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat or until chops are well browned. 2. Pour in wine, broth and mushrooms. Reduce heat and slow braise, covered for 20-30 minutes, or until lamb is tender. You may need 2 pans for this, or sear in batches then stack in a larger pan for braising, rotating chops during cooking. 3. Remove meat from pan, cover with foil. Continue to simmer sauce on a higher heat until thickened to desired consistency. Return lamb to pan with the sauce and heat through, spooning sauce over chops. 4. While lamb is braising, cook the squash. Heat olive oil in a separate, non-stick pan and add shallot. Cook for 1 minute, add squash, and stir for additional 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. 5. Add broth and turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until tender. Serve lamb marsala over the braised squash.