Braised Leg Of Lamb With Spring Vegetables Food

LAMB STEW WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium (10- to 11-inch) ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Transfer the bacon to a large plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Dry the lamb with paper towels and toss it in a bowl first with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and then with the 1/4 cup of flour. Raise the heat to medium high and cook half the lamb in the bacon fat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Add the lamb to the plate with the bacon and brown the second batch, also transferring it to the plate. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for one minute.
• Pour the lamb and bacon, along with any juices that collect, back into the pot. Add the beef stock, wine, tomatoes (including the juice), thyme, rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits in the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, onions and turnips, cover and return to the oven for 1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender.
• Mash the 2 tablespoons of flour with the butter in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the stew and simmer on top of the stove for 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the peas and parsley, season to taste and serve hot in large shallow bowls.

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 LAMB WITH SPRING VEG & GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Make several slashes about 1cm deep in each shank, then put them in a large roasting tin. Rub the rosemary, oil and seasoning into the meat. Leave to marinate for 30 mins if you have time. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
• Brown the lamb shanks in the oven for 20 mins, turning halfway. Add the carrots and all but one of the garlic cloves, turn them in some of the fat in the pan, then roast for 5 mins more. Pour in the wine and stock (make sure the carrots aren't too submerged), then cover the tin tightly with foil. Reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for 2½ hrs or until the shanks are meltingly tender.
• Chop the parsley, lemon zest and the remaining garlic clove and mix to make the gremolata. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
• Lift the shanks and carrots from their broth, cover and keep warm. Skim most of the fat from the sauce, then boil the sauce hard for 10 mins in a pan to reduce it by half. Check the seasoning and add the peas and the onion greens for the last few mins.
• To serve, return the shanks and carrots to the tin, pour over the sauce, scatter with the gremolata and squeeze over some lemon juice, if you like.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND SPRING GREMOLATA

Steps:

• For lamb:
• Sprinkle lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Heat oil in heavy large deep pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, if necessary, add lamb to pot and cook until browned on all sides, turning often, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to large bowl. Add onions, carrots, and celery to same pot; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Return lamb to pot; bring to boil (liquid may not cover lamb completely). Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until lamb is very tender and begins to fall off bones, turning occasionally, about 3 hours.
• Using tongs, transfer lamb to platter. Discard bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Spoon off fat from surface of pan juices; discard. Using immersion blender, puree pan juices until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return lamb shanks to pan juices. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• For gremolata:
• Mix all ingredients in small bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• For vegetables:
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender, about 18 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to medium bowl. Add carrots to same pot; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrots to bowl with potatoes. Add sugar snap peas to same pot; cook 1 minute. Drain. Add to bowl with potatoes and carrots. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Bring lamb and pan juices to simmer over medium heat until heated through.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables; sauté about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer lamb and pan juices to large platter or bowl. Surround with vegetables; scatter pea tendrils over vegetables. Sprinkle lamb with gremolata and serve.
• Ingredient tip:
• Green garlic has a more delicate flavor than mature garlic. The tops of green garlic look like green onions; the root ends are white and light purple. Look for green garlic at farmers' markets during the spring months.

BRAISED LEG OF LAMB WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees centigrade.
• Place the leg of lamb into a large baking pan and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven, add stock to pan and cover tightly with foil.
• Reduce oven temperature to 170 degrees centigrade and return lamb to oven for 40 minutes or until cook to your liking.
• Remove from oven and rest lamb for 10 minutes in a warm place.
• Pour cooking juices into a saucepan and add beans and other vegetables.
• bring to the boil and simmer covered until vegetables are just tender.
• Serve lamb with cous cous and vegetables.
• Accompany with cooking juices and spoonfuls of redcurrant jelly.

WINE-BRAISED LEG OF LAMB WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F. Place lamb in large roasting pan. Rub all over with half of minced garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place halved heads of garlic around lamb, cut side up. Scatter 1 bunch thyme over and around lamb. Roast lamb 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Boil wine in large saucepan for 5 minutes. Pour wine around lamb. Cover and roast until lamb is very tender, about 2 hours 45 minutes longer. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm, covered, in 350°F oven for 30 minutes before continuing.)
• Transfer lamb and heads of garlic to platter. Tent with foil. Using slotted spoon, remove thyme sprigs and garlic skins from pan juices. Place roasting pan over medium-high heat on stovetop. Bring juices to boil. Add butter and remaining minced garlic. Boil until juices thicken slightly, about 12 minutes. Season jus with salt and pepper. Slice lamb; spoon jus over.

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.

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.

ROAST LAMB SHOULDER WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Season lamb inside and out with salt and pepper. Smear interior with garlic paste and 3 tablespoons chopped mint. Press meat together in a long oval shape, then tie securely with butcher's twine. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and massage evenly over roast. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to several hours, even overnight. (If refrigerating, bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. An hour or so before you plan to eat, put lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and cook for about 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium rare. Let meat rest for at least 20 minutes (up to 45 minutes is fine) before slicing.
• Meanwhile, cook carrots in simmering salted water until just done, 5 to 7 minutes. Rinse in cold water to cool, then drain and reserve.
• In a wide, deep skillet with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and artichoke, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Let sizzle and color a bit, then reduce heat and cook for about 10 minutes, until onion and artichoke are softened. Stir in garlic. (You may prepare onions and artichoke up to this point in advance.) Turn off heat.
• About 5 minutes before serving, set heat under skillet to medium-high. Add fava beans, asparagus, carrots and snow peas. Season well with salt and stir gently to mix, then add 1/2 cup water and put on lid. Let cook for about 4 minutes more, until vegetables are done.
• Slice lamb and arrange on a large platter. Spoon vegetables around meat, sprinkle with parsley and remaining tablespoon of chopped mint.

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.