Braised Leg Of Lamb Recipes

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 ONTARIO LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Season the lamb with the salt and pepper and rub in well. In a heavy casserole pan large enough to hold the lamb leg, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Brown the lamb all over in the hot oil, remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the vegetables to the pan and sauté over medium heat to colour lightly. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring often until the paste has taken on a deep mahogany hue. Mix in the flour, and, stirring well, cook for a few more minutes. Pour in half of the wine and stir until thick and smooth. Pour in the remaining wine and the chicken stock and stir until boiling gently.
• Place the lamb back into the casserole pan. The lamb should be about one-third covered by the liquid.
• Add the herb sprigs and fresh tomatoes, cover with the lid, and place in the center of the oven. Baste the lamb every half hour with some of the braising liquid. Cook until the lamb is very tender, about 2 - 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove the lamb, cover lightly and keep warm in a serving dish.
• Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a clean sauce pan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, reduce to a sauce-like consistency, and adjust the seasoning. Slice the lamb and arrange on a platter, pour the sauce over the lamb, and serve.

BALSAMIC-BRAISED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Cut the leg of lamb into 4 even pieces.
• Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil in an 8-quart stovetop pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the lamb pieces and bones all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches (to not overcrowd the pot), sear the meat and bones in the hot oil until well browned on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside. Pour off excess oil from the pot and then add the garlic, fennel, jalapenos, onions and red bell peppers. Sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the beef stock and balsamic vinegar. Add the seared lamb and bones back the pot, close the pressure cooker and cook on low heat until fork tender, 45 minutes.
• Remove the lamb from the braising liquid and pull into large chunks. Remove the bones from the pot, and discard. Strain the braising liquid and then add it back to the pot. Cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Turn off the heat, add the lamb back to the pot and spoon the reduced liquid over the top to glaze. Keep warm until ready to serve.

HONEY-BRAISED LEG OF LAMB WITH CARROTS AND FENNEL

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the mint, rosemary and garlic. Open up the lamb flat on a baking sheet and top with some salt and pepper, about 2 tablespoons of the honey and about three-quarters of the herb-garlic mix. Roll up the lamb and tie it with butcher's twine, then top with the remaining honey and herb-garlic mix. Refrigerate, uncovered, for about 2 hours to marinate, then let the lamb come to room temperature before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Add the chicken broth, white wine, carrots, onions and fennel to a large Dutch oven, then set the lamb on top of the vegetables. Roast until the lamb registers an internal temperature of 130 degrees F (medium rare) on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours.
• Let the lamb rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a serving platter.
• In a small bowl, use a fork to mash the butter and flour together to form a smooth paste. Place the Dutch oven with the pan juices over medium heat and bring to a simmer, then whisk in the butter and flour mixture. Bring to a boil and heat until thickened, about 3 minutes.
• Slice the lamb and serve with the vegetables and pan sauce spooned over.

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 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.

BRAISED LEG OF LAMB WITH POTATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Make 10 slits in lamb using a paring knife, and insert a piece of garlic into each. Generously season lamb with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear lamb on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat, and add wine. Return to heat, and simmer for 1 minute. Add stock, remaining garlic, and the rosemary; bring to a boil. Cover with lid, and braise in oven for 4 hours.
• Add potatoes and olives, and continue to braise until lamb and potatoes are tender, 35 to 40 minutes more.
• Transfer lamb to a platter. Transfer potatoes and olives to platter using a slotted spoon. Strain pan juices, and skim fat from top; return to Dutch oven. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes. Spoon sauce over lamb.

STOUT-BRAISED LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season lamb generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly with flour. Heat oil in a braiser pan or large deep-sided skillet over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, sear lamb, fat-side down first, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes a batch. Transfer to a platter.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add Worcestershire, stout, and broth. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Return lamb, fat-side up, and any accumulated juices to pan and return to a boil.
• Cover pan and transfer to oven. Cook, spooning juices over lamb every 30 minutes, until meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from oven; uncover and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 3 days.
• Remove solidified fat from top. Place pan over medium-low and gently simmer, covered, until lamb is warmed through, about 15 minutes. Remove rosemary. Using 2 forks, shred meat into large pieces. Transfer to a tureen or other serving vessel. Pour braising liquid over lamb. Serve with jam or chutney.

SLOW BRAISED LAMB

Steps:

• Toss lamb chunks in seasoned flour, then shake off excess.
• Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and fry lamb chunks all over to brown. Do this in batches. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a flameproof casserole.
• Add 2 tbsp more olive oil to the pan and fry onion to soften but not brown. Add to lamb. Next add carrots and celery and lightly brown. Add to lamb with garlic. Pour over stock and wine and bring to bubbling. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn down to simmer, then cook over lowest heat for around 1 ¼ hours, or until lamb is tender. Sprinkle with parsley.
• Meanwhile, cook potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until soft to the point of a knife. Mash with extra virgin olive oil and egg to fabulous creaminess. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Briefly toss spinach in a pan with a little salted water to wilt. Drain.
• Serve lamb with mash and spinach on the side. Drizzle mash with more extra virgin olive oil.