Lamb With Artichokes A Great Simple Classic Recipes

ROAST SPRING LAMB WITH ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Remove the outer leaves of the artichokes so that only the tender inner leaves remain. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the trimmed artichokes and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove artichokes, let cool, then slice in half in order to scoop out the chokes with a small spoon. Reserve hearts.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large casserole, add the lamb shanks and saute until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer lamb shanks to a shallow roasting pan and scatter the onions and garlic in the pan. Pour in the meat stock, and roast for 30 minutes.
• Place a small saucepan over low heat, add the ham and saute until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the artichokes to the lamb, baste the meat and artichokes with the accumulated juices, and roast for another 10 minutes. Add the ham and roast another 5 minutes, or until lamb is desired doneness. Remove lamb from oven, let rest a few minutes, then serve warm.

LAMB WITH ARTICHOKES, LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• For the lamb: Trim the lamb shoulder to remove all the fat and cube into medium size pieces. In a Dutch oven or large sauce pot heat the olive oil until hot and saute the onions until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Next, add the lamb pieces and cook for approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Add the saffron, pepper, parsley, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon cumin, and 1/3 teaspoon turmeric. Mix well and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the water, cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the lamb is tender, transfer it to a separate casserole with a small amount of sauce to keep it warm. To the sauce add 1/2 cup green olives and allow the sauce to cook for 3 more minutes. Pour the sauce and artichokes over the lamb on the casserole plate and garnish the plate with fresh lemon slices as well as preserved lemon slices, and freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
• For the Artichokes with Lemons and Olives: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot, add onions, garlic, saffron, black pepper, cumin, salt and bay leaves, stir well and bring to a boil. Drain the artichokes from cold water and put in the casserole, cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then add olives, lemon juice and preserved lemon, reduce heat for another 10 minutes, and let simmer. Serve in a platter, pour lemon juice over artichokes and garnish with thin slices of lemon. Serve the artichokes as a vegetarian dish or as a garnish for lamb.

LAMB SHANKS WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Rub shanks with 1 tbsp lemon juice and season. In a skillet, saute shanks in olive oil and sear, turning to brown all sides.
• Transfer shanks to a casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining lemon juice, garlic, and oregano. Add onion and bake covered, for 2 1/2 hours.
• Add beef broth, wine, and artichoke hearts. raise heat to 350°F and bake covered for 30 minutes more.
• Transfer lamb and chokes to a platter to keep warm. Mix cornstarch and water in a cup. On stovetop, Add cornstarch mixture to the casserole dish and cook with the lamb juice on med-high heat to thicken.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Pat shanks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep 12-inch heavy enameled casserole over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown shanks on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.
• Add remaining oil to casserole and sauté onions, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Return shanks to casserole and add broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour.
• While shanks cook, combine 4 cups cold water and 1/4 cup lemon juice in a large bowl. Then, working with 1 artichoke at a time, bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base and discard. (Do not cut off stems.) Discard several more layers of leaves in same manner until exposed leaves are pale green at top and yellow at base. Cut off top leaves about 1 to 1 1/4 inches from top. Trim fibrous parts from base and stem of artichoke, being careful not to break off stem. Cut a thin slice from end of stem to expose a fresh cross section, then trim outer green fibrous part from stem.
• As it is trimmed, rub artichoke all over with lemon halves. Cut artichokes in half lengthwise and remove fuzzy center and any purple leaves. Place in bowl with water and lemon juice.
• Drain artichokes and add to shanks with 1/2 cup dill and remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice. Simmer, covered, until meat and artichokes are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer shanks and artichokes to a deep serving dish and keep warm, covered. Skim fat from sauce in casserole and boil until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over lamb and artichokes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup dill.