Slow Braised Lamb With Backyard Farms Tomatoes And Lentils Food

SLOW-COOKED LAMB SHANKS WITH LENTIL RAGOUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to moderately slow (160c).
• Toss lamb shanks in seasoned flour, heat oil in a large saucepan and brown shanks in batches for 4-5 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.
• Saute onion, carrot, celery and chili in same pan for 4-5 minutes until onion is tender. Stir through lentils, tomatoes water, wine and vinegar and bring to the boil.
• Place the lamb and sauce mixture into a large oven proof casserole dish; bake covered, stirring a couple of times for 1 1/2 hours.
• Uncover and cook a further hour or until meat is almost falling off the bone.
• Stir parsley through and serve over mashed potatoes with green vegetables if desired.

SLOWLY BRAISED LAMB

Steps:

• Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
• Heat the oil in a casserole large enough to hold the lamb. Brown the lamb on all sides over medium heat; it should take at least 15 minutes. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside.
• Add the onions and leeks to the casserole and sautee over medium-low heat until they are tender and just turning golden. Stir in the garlic.
• Return the lamb to the casserole and add the stock, wine, lemon juice, tarragon and scallions. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven.
• Bake the lamb for five hours; by then it should be extremely tender. Remove the lamb from the casserole.
• Strain the sauce into a heavy saucepan. Skim off as much fat as possible. Place the solids in a blender or food processor along with 1 tablespoon of the minced parsley. Puree, adding a little of the sauce if necessary. Add this puree to the sauce, reheat and check seasonings.
• Remove the strings from the lamb. Slice the roast down the middle the long way, then cut it into chunks. Layer the meat into a bowl or loaf pan that holds 5 to 6 cups, then unmold onto a warm serving platter. Sprinkle the remaining minced parsley over the top, garnish the platter with parsley sprigs and serve, with the sauce on the side.

LAMB WITH BRAISED LENTILS

Steps:

• Mix together the lemon rind, rosemary, sage and garlic and rub over the lamb steaks, then squeeze the lemon juice over the lamb steaks.
• Heat a large non-stick pan until hot and, over a medium-high heat, add the lamb steaks (and some of the lemon juice that has dripped off them when you transferred them to the pan) and fry for 1 minute on each side.
• Remove the lamb from the pan, and set aside.
• Add the bacon, onions, carrot and celery to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or until they are beginning to soften.
• Add the lentils and the stock - and any of the herbs and garlic that didn't make it into the pan earlier when you were browning the lamb steaks - and, over a high heat, return the lamb to the pan and bring the mixture to the boil.
• Reduce to a low-medium heat and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender and most of the stock has been absorbed.
• Serve the lamb with potatoes mashed with buttermilk or low-fat milk. If the potatoes have been made ahead of time - and if you like spinach - mix through the mashed potatoes a packet of frozen spinach, which has not only been thawed, and thoroughly-drained but has also had all excess moisture squeezed from it.
• Chef's Note: Since I posted this recipe and last made this dish, I have found and posted the most fabulous recipe for vegetable stock, which is now my standard vegetable stock recipe: Vegetable Stock Recipe #135453.

LAMB WITH LENTILS (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium high heat heat 1 tablespoon oil for about 30 seconds or so.
• Add lamb to skillet, cook until browned (3-5 minutes) in batches if necessary. Transfer lamb to slow cooker as it is cooked.
• Reduce heat to medium and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.
• Add onions, carrots and celery to skillet and cook stirring until vegetables are soft (5-10 minutes).
• Stir in garlic, herbes de Provence, salt and peppercorns and cook another minute or so.
• Stir in bay leaves, broth and tomatoes (with the juice) and bring mixture to a boil and then transfer mixture to slow cooker. (see my note in description - I also added a lamb bone chopped into two pieces so it would fit in my crock pot).
• Stir in lentils.
• Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours or until mixture is bubbly and lamb and lentils are tender.
• (Remove bone from crock pot - see note in description) Stir in chard in batches, stirring into the stew. Cover and cook on High for 20-30 minutes or until chard is tender. Discard bay leaves.

SPICY LAMB AND LENTILS

Steps:

• Combine first 10 ingredients in large bowl and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Bring lentils and broth to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are just tender, about 30 minutes.
• Add lamb and marinade to lentils and blend well. Bring to simmer. Cover and bake until lamb is tender, about 50 minutes. Spoon off any fat from surface. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with chutney.

SLOW ROASTED LAMB SHANKS WITH BRAISED LENTILS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F. Spread onions, celery, and carrots over bottom of large roasting pan. Rub thyme and mint over lamb shanks; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place lamb shanks atop vegetables. Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over. Roast uncovered 30 minutes. Pour 1 cup chicken stock over lamb and vegetables in pan. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F. Continue to roast uncovered until lamb is very tender and almost falls off bones, adding 1 cup stock to pan every 30 minutes and turning and basting lamb occasionally, about 3 hours longer. Using tongs, transfer lamb shanks to bowl; cover to keep warm.
• Transfer vegetables and pan juices to large saucepan; skim fat from surface. Add remaining 1 cup stock, wine, juniper berries if desired, and bay leaf to saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Strain, pressing on solids to extract as much vegetable pulp and liquid as possible. Return strained liquid to same saucepan; bring to boil. Mix flour and butter to blend in small bowl. Add to saucepan; whisk until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to 2 cups, about 2 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Spoon Braised Lentils onto 4 plates. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over lentils. Top each serving with 1 lamb shank. Spoon sauce over lamb.
• Available in the spice section of most supermarkets.

HEARTY LAMB AND LENTIL STEW

Steps:

• In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients but the parsley, salt and black pepper.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
• Just before serving, remove bay leaves, stir in parsley and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.