Braised Leg Of Lamb With Olives And Celery Root PurÉe Food

BRAISED LEG OF LAMB WITH CELERY ROOT PURéE

Steps:

• To prepare the lamb: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rub the lamb with 1 tablespoon of oil, and season it with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the stock and wine to a boil; allow to reduce for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the carrots and parsnips, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, rosemary, sage and bay leaf. Turn off the heat and add just enough stock to cover the vegetables. Place the lamb, fatty side up, on top of the vegetables.
• Transfer the pot to the oven, uncovered, and cook for 25 minutes. Then add the remaining stock, cover the pot and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, at a bare simmer, reducing heat if necessary, then turn the lamb over. Cook 1 1/2 hours longer and turn the lamb over again. Uncover the pot and stir in the olives. Cook another hour, turning the lamb after 30 minutes. At this point the lamb should be soft enough to cut with a serving spoon. If not, cover the pot and continue to cook until it is.
• After the lamb has cooked for about 3 hours, prepare the celery root purée: In a large saucepan, combine the celery root, peeled garlic cloves and bay leaves. Pour in 12 cups water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, discard the bay leaves and transfer the celeriac and garlic to a food processor. Add the butter and nutmeg; process until very smooth. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Keep warm.
• Just before serving, mash the finely chopped garlic and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to form a paste. Stir it into the lamb's pan juices.
• To serve, make a bed of celery root purée on each plate. Cut the lamb with a serving spoon, and lay some of it over the celery root, along with some vegetables and pan juices.

BRAISED LEG OF LAMB WITH OLIVES AND CELERY ROOT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Rub the lamb all over with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a medium saucepan, over medium high heat, and bring the stock and wine to a boil and let reduce for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven, over medium heat.
• Add onions to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add carrots, parsnip, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, rosemary, sage and bay leaf; turn off heat and add enough stock to just cover the vegetables.
• Place the lamb, fatty side up, on the vegetables, and place in oven for 25 minutes.
• After 25 minutes, add remaining stock, cover pot, and reduce heat to 325 degrees F; cook 1 1/2 hours (pot should barely simmer, reduce heat, if necessary).
• Turn lamb over and cook an additional 1 1/2 hours, covered.
• Turn lamb over again, uncover pot and stir in olives; cook another half hour, turn lamb, and cook, uncovered a half hour more or until lamb is soft enough to cut with a spoon!
• Meanwhile, after the lamb has cooked about 3 hours, start the puree.
• In a large saucepan, combine celery root, peeled garlic, and bay leaves; pour in 12 cups of water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt.
• Turn burn to medium high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Drain, discard bay leaves, and transfer to a food processor.
• Add butter and nutmeg; process until smooth.
• Taste and add salt, if needed.
• When ready to serve, mash the minced garlic with 1/4 teaspoon salt to form a paste; stir into the lamb's pan juices.
• Serve with a bed of celery root puree, top with a piece of lamb, scatter some of the vegetables, and drizzle with pan juices.

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.

BRETON BRAISED LAMB & HARICOT BEANS

Steps:

• Put the beans in a saucepan and cover with water. Add the quartered onion, the halved carrot and halved celery, the bay leaves, parsley stalks and peppercorns. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 mins until the beans are soft. Drain well and reserve the cooking liquid, discarding the onion, carrot and celery.
• While the beans are cooking, heat half the olive oil in a heavy-based flameproof casserole. Brown the lamb in batches over a high heat. As each batch is cooked, remove it and set aside on a plate. Reduce the heat, add the chopped onion to the pan with the diced celery and carrot and cook until well coloured. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of mins.
• Return the lamb to the pan and add all the remaining ingredients, except the beans. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to very low and cover, then cook for 2 hrs. Add the beans 45 mins before the end of cooking time. Stir the lamb round every so often. If the lamb looks dry, add some of the bean cooking liquid.
• Remove the lid for the last 30 mins of cooking time, and season. This helps the cooking liquid to reduce. You should end up with a thick stew of tender lamb and soft beans. Scatter over the parsley and serve.

FOUR & THIRTY BRAISED LAMB

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, trim the skin and as much fat as possible from the lamb. Smear lightly with olive oil and season. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a very large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the lamb thoroughly on all sides, turning it with a big pair of tongs, then put it in a large, but fairly snug-fitting, casserole (a 4.8 litre/8 pint oval one is ideal). Reserve the pan.
• Slit lengthways through the first two layers of the leek, remove leaves and wash them. Put the bay leaf, thyme and celery inside one leaf and wrap with the other, to enclose the contents. Tie this 'faggot' with kitchen string and set aside. Rinse the rest of the leek and slice finely.
• Put the reserved frying pan over a low-medium heat and melt the butter. Tip in the onion, carrot and sliced leek and cook gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened. Add them to the casserole, draining off any fat first. Reserve the pan.
• Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 2/fan oven 130C. Break the garlic into cloves and place in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave for 1 minute, then drain, run under cold water and peel: the best way is to place a clove on a chopping board, nick off the root end and, without lifting the blade, pull the clove away. This removes the first bit of skin and the rest should come away easily. Set the cloves aside.
• Discard any fat from the frying pan and put it over a very high heat. Pour in the wine, scrape up any bits from the bottom and boil furiously for 5 minutes. Pour the wine and stock into the casserole. Add the garlic cloves and leek faggot, making sure they are immersed - the lamb should be at least half-covered. Do not add salt.
• Cover the casserole and put it into the oven. Braise for 4 hours, reducing the temperature to 140C/Gas 1/fan oven 120C for the last 2 hours and turning the lamb every hour. Remove the lamb, put it on a heated dish, drape loosely with foil and keep warm for up to 30 minutes.
• Strain 1 litre/13⁄4 pints of the cooking juices into a pan and bring to the boil over a very high heat. Bubble madly for 8-10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Meanwhile, tip the vegetable debris (but not the faggot) into a food processor and whizz to a smooth purée. Whisk this into the reduced liquid to make the sauce. Check the seasoning, then keep the sauce at a bare simmer until you are ready to serve.