Braised Lamb With Preserved Lemon Recipes

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Put oil in a large, deep skillet or casserole that can be covered later, and turn heat to medium-high. Add shanks, sprinkling them with salt and pepper. When pieces are deeply browned on one side, add thyme, garlic, onion, half the celery and half the carrots, and more salt and pepper to skillet. Continue to brown, stirring occasionally.
• Add wine, and let mixture bubble for about a minute; cover and adjust heat so that mixture simmers steadily. Cook for about an hour.
• Add remaining vegetables to pan; zest lemon, and add zest as well. Continue to cook until lamb is very tender and vegetables soft, another 30 to 45 minutes. (You can prepare dish up to this point in advance; let sit for a few hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.)
• When lamb is done, juice lemon, and add juice to sauce. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve, garnished with parsley.

BRAISED LAMB SHOULDER WITH OREGANO AND PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• 1. To make the marinade, crush the garlic and oregano leaves in a mortar and pestle to form a rough paste. Rinse the preserved lemon and cut away and discard the inside flesh. Chop the rinsed skin, add to the mortar and crush everything together. 2. Sprinkle the lamb shoulder with 1 tbsp salt and season with black pepper, then rub the marinade all over both sides of the shoulder. Refrigerate on a baking tray, covered, for at least 8 hours or overnight. 3. The next day, remove the lamb from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Cut the potatoes in half and place in a deep roasting dish where all the ingredients will fit snugly in one layer. Set aside. 4. Heat the olive oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat and cook the onion until deeply caramelised, about 10-15 minutes. Pour the onion and oil mixture over the potatoes. Add tomato, garlic cloves and herbs to the roasting dish. Drizzle the lemon juice over everything. 5. Add the stock to the same frypan with the extra ½ tsp salt and bring to a boil. Place the lamb in the centre of the roasting dish, moving some of the potatoes aside so it sits on the bottom of the dish. Pour the stock over the potatoes - add just enough to come three-quarters up the sides of the potatoes. 6. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake for 1½ hours. Flip the shoulder over, re-cover it with foil and continue braising for another hour (you may need to add more water or stock to the pan if it looks like it's drying out). Pull the meat out of the oven and take a look at it. If it still feels tough, cook for another hour, covered. Once it is starting to become tender and the bone is loosening, remove the foil and return the lamb to the oven, presentation side up, and continue cooking for a further 30 minutes to brown everything and get the meat meltingly tender. 7. When the meat and potatoes are browned, remove the lamb from the tray to rest for at least 15 minutes. If you want to brown the potatoes further, pour off the braising juices into a small pot and continue roasting the potatoes while the lamb rests. 8. To serve, place the meat on top of the potatoes. Taste the juices, adjust seasoning if needed, and warm. Serve juices in a gravy dish on the side so each guest can add more to their plates if desired. Serving suggestion: with my roasted carrot salad on the side and salted caramel mousse for dessert. Tips: *If you can't find preserved lemon, use the fine zest of a fresh lemon. These flavours are Mediterranean but use whatever herbs and spices you prefer. Keep an eye on the lamb shoulder as it cooks. You want the meat to be fall-apart tender before removing the foil to brown at the end.

LAMB WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Sprinkle lamb all over with coarse salt and pepper. Arrange in single layer in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Combine onions, lemons, garlic, 3 tablespoons cilantro, and cumin seeds in processor. Blend to smooth puree. Add 2/3 cup water and blend again. Pour puree evenly over lamb. Stir briefly to coat lamb with puree. Scatter butter evenly over.
• Bake lamb, uncovered, until very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb to bowl. Tilt baking dish and spoon off fat from surface of sauce. Return lamb to sauce; stir to blend. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper. do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill stew, uncovered, until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm, covered, in 350°F oven 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle lamb with additional chopped cilantro and serve.
• Lemons soaked in salt and lemon juice for several weeks; available at specialty foods stores and Middle Eastern markets, and from igourmet.com.

BRAISED LAMB WITH EGG AND LEMON

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. Season lamb pieces generously with salt and pepper. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom soup pot over medium-high heat and brown the lamb lightly on each side. (Do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan.) Remove browned lamb from pan and set aside.
• Lower heat to medium, then add onions and cook until soft, allowing them to brown a bit, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, flour, tomato paste and saffron, if using, and stir to coat the onions. Stir in wine and broth, then bring to a simmer. Add the browned lamb pieces, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf.
• Cover pot and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 degrees and cook for an additional hour. The meat should be meltingly tender when pierced with a paring knife or skewer.
• Remove lamb pieces with a slotted spoon. Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, then return lamb pieces and strained liquid to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cool to room temperature, then cover pot and refrigerate overnight; this makes removing the fat easier and improves the flavor.
• Remove the stew from the fridge and remove congealed fat. Place pot over medium heat and bring to a bare simmer.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook fregola until al dente, about 8 to 9 minutes, drain and put into a large serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with olive oil. Keep warm.
• Just before serving, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together until well combined. Gradually whisk in some of the hot stew liquid to temper the eggs. Turn off the heat under the stew. Pour egg mixture back into the stew, stirring carefully with a wooden spoon. The sauce will thicken very slightly. Taste for seasoning. (Sauce may curdle if it gets too hot. If necessary, keep stew warm over a double boiler.)
• Transfer stew to a serving dish. Mix together parsley, celery heart leaves and lemon zest, and sprinkle abundantly over the stew. Garnish with peeled and halved hard-cooked eggs. Serve with fregola and, if desired, vegetables such as spring carrots, turnips, asparagus or peas.

BRAISED LAMB WITH PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cumin and onion, and cook 4 minutes, until limp.
• Add lamb and cook 5 minutes, until browned on all sides.
• Add preserved lemon, mint, bay leaves, cinnamon and beef stock; cover and simmer 40 minutes.
• Add eggplant and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve over couscous, with a dollop of yogurt on top of each serving.

SLOW-BRAISED LAMB SHOULDER WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND SPICES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to its highest setting. Gently heat the cumin seeds in a small dry frying pan for 3-4 minutes until they start to pop and brown. Cool a little, then grind to a powder in a spice grinder/pestle and mortar.
• Put the cumin in a food processor with the preserved lemon, onion, garlic, cinnamon, coriander, 1 tbsp of the oil and some salt and pepper, then whizz to form a thick paste.
• Make slashes in the lamb skin about 1cm deep. Rub the spice mix over and into the slashes, then put the meat in the casserole. Add the pomegranate molasses, remaining 1 tbsp oil and 150ml water. Put a sheet of baking paper on top of the lamb, then a sheet of foil. Add the lid to cover as tightly as you can.
• Transfer the dish to the oven and turn the heat down to 130ºC fan/gas 2. Cook for 3½ hours. Remove the lid, foil and baking paper and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven - the meat should be falling from the bone (see Know How). Cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat together all the ingredients for the tahini sauce and season to taste.
• Serve the lamb with the tahini sauce, extra coriander and, if you like, lemon wedges on the side.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Cook the rice as the label directs. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet, skin-side down, and cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until just browned on the other side, about 3 more minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off the excess fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the butter; let melt. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook until just softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook 1 more minute. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chicken broth and preserved lemon slices and bring to a simmer.
• Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler and cook until the chicken skin is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Fluff the rice and divide among plates. Serve with the chicken, vegetable mixture and sauce from the skillet; top with dill.

BRAISED LAMB WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

Steps:

• Put the oil in a large deep skillet with a lid and turn the heat to medium-high. A minute later, add as many chunks of lamb as will fit without crowding (you will inevitably have to brown in batches). It will take 3 or 4 minutes for the pieces to brown; when they do, turn them and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Adjust the heat so the pieces brown as rapidly as possible without burning. After each has browned on 2 sides, remove it from the pan and add another piece or two. The entire browning process will take 10 to 15 minutes.
• When all the meat has been removed from the pan, turn off the heat and wait a minute for the pan to cool a bit. Turn the heat back to medium and add the garlic; wash and slice one of the lemons and add it also. Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the liquid. Raise the heat to high and let the liquid bubble away for a minute. Return the meat to the pan and cover; adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles very gently. (If it cooks too quickly, you may have to add a little water once or twice.)
• Cook, undisturbed (you can stir occasionally if you want to, but it's unnecessary), until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve over the rice with the other lemon cut into wedges.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB WITH PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Halve preserved lemon; remove and discard seeds and flesh. Chop skin and pulse with garlic, shallot, chiles, mint and marjoram leaves, lemon zest and juice, and salt in a food processor until coarsely ground. Stir in oil. Reserve 3/4 cup marinade.
• Place lamb in a baking dish; rub with remaining marinade. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
• 3. Let lamb stand at room temperature 1 hour. Heat grill to medium-high. Remove lamb from marinade, brushing off excess. Grill, covered, 8 minutes. Flip; continue cooking until a thermometer inserted in center reads 130 degrees for medium-rare, about 8 minutes more. Cover loosely with foil; let rest 20 minutes. Slice thinly and serve with herb sprigs, lemons, and reserved marinade.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Cut ten 1/2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb. Insert a garlic clove half into each slit. Season lamb all over with pepper and 3 tablespoons salt.
• Combine oil, lemon juice, oregano, and minced garlic in a large, resealable plastic bag. Add lamb, and turn to coat. Seal bag, and place in a large bowl. Refrigerate overnight (or up to 2 days).
• Let lamb stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat grill to medium-high. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds.)
• Grill lamb to desired doneness. (For medium-rare, grill until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 130 degrees, about 15 minutes per side.) Transfer to a cutting board, and let rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place lemon slices on grill. Cook over medium-high heat until caramelized and soft, about 10 minutes per side. Slice lamb. Garnish with oregano sprigs and lemon slices.