Braised Lamb With Squash And Brandied Fruit Food

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Season lamb shanks with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side.
• Stir onion, carrots, and celery into the pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and basil. Pour in chicken broth and wine; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover.
• Place covered pan in the preheated oven; bake until lamb shanks are tender, about 6 hours. Check level of liquid every 2 hours, adding more chicken broth or red wine if too much evaporates.
• Place butternut squash in a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.
• Stir 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Mash with a fork until smooth. Reheat over medium heat before serving with lamb shanks.

PASSOVER-INSPIRED BRAISED LAMB WITH DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Season the meat with salt and pepper and put it in a pot that will fit it snugly and can later be covered. Add the spices and a 1/2 bottle of wine. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a slow bubble, and cover. Cook about an hour, then add onion, garlic, ginger and dried fruit, and check to make sure the liquid isn't evaporating too quickly; turn and continue to cook. Add the remaining red wine if the mixture looks dry, but essentially cook this without fuss.
• When the meat is very tender - after about 2 1/2 hours - uncover. Check and adjust the seasoning as necessary, garnish and serve.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the onions in a layer in the bottom of a Dutch oven or medium roasting pan with a lid. Arrange the lamb shanks on top of the onions. Pour the wine, balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the lamb. Place a clove of pressed garlic next to each shank, and a quarter of a lemon on each side. Pour the tomatoes over everything, then season with salt, pepper and basil.
• Cover and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 3 hours. Use juices from the pan to make a nice flavorful gravy.

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 SHANKS WITH WINTER SQUASH AND RED CHARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
• 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 Tbls butter to dripping in pot.
• Add onions, carrots, parsnips, thyme and garlic.
• Sauté until vegetables soften and begin to brown.
• Add wine, boil until reduced almost to a glaze; about 4 minutes.
• Return lamb to pot, arrange in single layer.
• Add stock, orange, cinnamon and 1 tsp fennel seeds, bring to a boil.
• Place pot in the oven.
• Braise lamb uncovered until tender, turning and basting often; about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rub cut sides of squash with 1 Tbls butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Arrange squash, skin side down on a baking sheet.
• Roast on sheet alongside lamb until tender; about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Scrape squash from skins into a bowl.
• Add nutmeg and 2 Tbls of butter.
• Mash with a fork until almost smooth, season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer lamb to a plate, strain braising liquid into a bowl; spoon off the fat if desired. Return liquid to pot.
• Add fresh fennel, orange peel and 1 tsp fennel seeds.
• Simmer until fennel is tender and sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
• Rewarm lamb shanks, covered, over medium heat; about 15 minutes.
• Rewarm squash in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often; about 10 minutes.
• While the lamb and squash heat, cut out the center stem from the chard leaves, discard.
• Coarsely tear the leaves.
• Melt butter in a heavy skillet over high heat.
• Add chard and toss until it wilts; about 4 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide chard and squash among 4 plates.
• Arrange the lamb atop the vegetables, spoon sauce with fennel over the top.

BRAISED LEG OF LAMB WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Trim any excess fat from the lamb and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large pot (with a tight-fitting lid), add the oil and heat it over a high flame.
• Place the lamb in the pot and let it sear on all sides until golden brown (about 12-15 minutes).
• Remove from the pot and drain off all of the oil except for 2 tablespoons.
• Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, tomato paste and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the wine to the pot and reduce by ¾.
• Place the lamb back into the pot and cover completely with chicken stock; bring to a simmer (about 15 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put the lid on the pot and place in the oven, and cook for 3 hours.
• Add the carrots, celery root, rutabaga and cippolini onions to the pot and cook for 1 more hour, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
• Remove the lamb and place it on a serving platter.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and arrange them around the lamb.
• Strain the remainder of the sauce and put it back in the pot; reduce by 3/4 (approximately 20 minutes) until thickened and richly flavored.
• Season with salt and pepper.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH DRIED FRUITS

Steps:

• Make marinade:
• In a 9- to 10-quart heavy ovenproof kettle whisk together marinade ingredients.
• Add shanks to marinade and toss to coat. Marinate shanks, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Transfer shanks with tongs to a plate. Pat shanks dry and season with salt and pepper. Pour marinade through a sieve set over a bowl and reserve vegetables, liquid, and bouquet garni separately. In kettle heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and brown shanks on all sides in batches, transferring to a plate. Add reserved vegetables to fat remaining in kettle and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add vegetables to shanks.
• Add flour to kettle and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, 3 minutes, or until golden. Whisk in reserved marinade liquid and add reserved bouquet garni, shank mixture, and tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half. Add water and braise mixture, covered, in middle of oven 2 hours, or until lamb is tender.
• While shanks are braising, peel and core apples and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a large heavy skillet heat remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook apples, stirring, 2 minutes. Add orange juice and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Keep apple mixture warm.
• Arrange shanks around edge of a large platter and spoon apple mixture into center of platter. Keep shanks and apple mixture warm.
• Bring braising liquid to a boil, skimming any fat that rises to surface, and discard bouquet garni. Add dried fruits and mint and simmer sauce 5 minutes, or until fruits are softened. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over shanks. Serve any remaining sauce separately.