Garden Spring Lamb 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.

4-HOUR LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a very large Dutch oven such as Le Creuset over medium-high heat until its hot. Add the lamb and sear on all sides for about 12 minutes, until its browned all over. Remove the lamb to a plate.
• Add the wine and 2 cups of water to the pan and cook for a minute or two, scraping up all the brown bits in the bottom. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves and the lamb on top. Place the lid on the pot and bake in the oven for 4 hours, basting occasionally. (If you dont have a lid, you can cover it tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil.)
• After 4 hours, the lamb should be incredibly tender and falling off the bone. Remove the lamb to a plate, cover it tightly with foil and allow it to rest. Strain the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce. The lamb will be too tender to slice; serve it warm with spoons and the sauce.

SPRING LAMB IN HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Toast coriander and fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
• Coarsely chop cilantro leaves and tender stems (you'll get about 2 cups) and transfer to a large bowl. Coarsely chop dill leaves and tender stems (you'll get about 2 cups) and add to bowl with cilantro. Pick leaves from tarragon bunches (do not chop; you'll get about 1 cup) and add to bowl; discard stems. Add scallions and toss to combine. Transfer 2 cups herb mixture to a small bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and chill until ready to use. Transfer remaining herb mixture to a food processor. Add coriander and fennel seeds, preserved lemons, garlic, 1/4 cup oil, and 2 tsp. kosher salt. Purée until a paste forms.
• Roll out a piece of foil that's more than double the length of a rimmed baking sheet. Center foil on baking sheet, then place lamb on foil. Rub lamb all over with herb paste. Bring up foil around lamb and wrap tightly to seal. Roast until lamb is super tender and is falling off the bone, 4-4 1/2 hours. (It's important that you don't open the foil packet once sealed. To check the meat, slide a skewer or small knife through the top of the foil; the meat should yield and shred easily.)
• Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large pot. Pour in water to cover; season with salt. Cover pot and bring water to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a medium bowl.
• Unwrap lamb (juices will run everywhere, so be careful to make sure they stay on the baking sheet) and let cool 20 minutes. Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Pull meat off bone and shred into pieces. Return meat to baking sheet and toss in herby juices.
• Transfer lamb to a platter. Pour juices over lamb and potatoes. Top lamb with reserved herb mixture. Drizzle lamb and potatoes with oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with sea salt.

GARDEN SPRING LAMB

Steps:

• Cut lamb into small, half-inch cubes. Toss with salt and pepper to taste and set aside for an hour or so.
• In a heavy casserole, melt butter then add oil. Brown the lamb, a few pieces at a time, removing to a platter as they are done.
• When lamb is done, remove casserole from heat and stir in flour to make a thick paste. Return to heat and gradually add half the stock, stirring continuously. When sauce is smooth, add garlic.
• Place parsley and chervil between bay leaves and tie the packet with a thread. Return lamb to pot with herb packet and any juices that have collected. Cover and simmer gently 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, scrub vegetables, peeling turnips, onions and carrots, if desired. (If using scallions, trim roots and cut off tops, leaving an inch or so of green.) Add vegetables to lamb after first hour of cooking. Add remaining stock, cover and cook 45 minutes more. Add peas and cook another 5 minutes, or until peas are tender. Turn into a hot serving dish and serve immediately.

HERB-ROASTED LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven so the lamb will sit in the middle of the oven.
• Peel 6 of the cloves of garlic and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and butter. Process until the garlic and rosemary are finely minced. Thoroughly coat the top and sides of the lamb with the rosemary mixture. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Toss the potatoes and remaining unpeeled garlic in a bowl with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees F and roast for another 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until a meat thermometer registers 130 to 135 degrees F for medium-rare. Place the lamb on a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes.

LAMB RAGOUT WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Season lamb chunks generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fennel seed and rub to distribute. Set aside for 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to several hours, or overnight).
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or similar heavy pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add lamb and brown on all sides, until meat is well caramelized, about 10 minutes. Work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan.
• Remove lamb, turn heat to medium and add onions (and a little oil if necessary) and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook for 1 minute, then stir in tomato paste. Sprinkle with flour and cook 2 minutes more. Add white wine and whisk well as mixture thickens. Whisk in broth and bring to a brisk simmer.
• Return meat to pot. Cover pot and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until meat is tender when probed. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Keep warm, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight before proceeding with vegetables (which should be prepared right before serving).
• Prepare the vegetables: Remove fava beans from pod. Blanch 2 minutes in boiling water, then cool in ice water. Peel and discard outer gray skin from each bean. You should have about 1 1/2 cups. Set aside. (If using frozen lima beans or edamame, cook the thawed beans for 3 to 4 minutes in salted boiling water.)
• Bring a medium pot of fresh water to a boil and salt well. Add fennel and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove with spider and rinse with cold water to refresh. In the same pot, cook carrots until tender, about 4 minutes, then remove and refresh. Cook turnips for 3 minutes, then remove and refresh.
• Just before serving, melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add cooked fennel, carrots and turnips. Add scallions and stir to distribute. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of water and cook until scallions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add fava beans and heat through. Stir in lemon zest and parsley.
• Transfer meat and sauce to a large serving dish. Spoon vegetables around meat and garnish with fennel fronds.

SPRING LAMB WITH ROSEMARY AND TURNIPS

Steps:

• Season lamb generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary, and rub the herbs into the surface of the lamb. Arrange rosemary sprigs on the bottom of a roasting pan. Lay lamb rack(s) over sprigs. Let meat come to room temperature before roasting.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Roast lamb, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 125 degrees (for medium-rare). Let rest on a cutting board.
• Put turnips in a wide medium saucepan over medium heat and cover with 1 inch of water. Season with salt, add butter and bring to a brisk simmer. When turnips are fork-tender, about 5 minutes, add greens and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 more minutes. If desired, bring the water to a boil and let evaporate. Let turnips brown slightly in the remaining butter, if you like.
• Cut lamb racks into 4 thick chops or 8 thin chops, slicing between the bones.