Seven Hour Spoon Lamb Recipes

SLOW COOKED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/fan 100C/gas ½. Put your largest lidded casserole on the hob and brown the seasoned leg of lamb on all sides - do this very thoroughly until it is a good dark brown as it will not brown during the cooking. (If you don't do it now, it will end up beige.) If the lamb sticks, add a drizzle of oil - legs of lamb differ. Allow 10 mins on a high heat and put on the cooker fan to remove the smoke. Pour away any fat that has collected in the bottom of the pan.
• Throw in the vegetables, followed by the wine and stock. Season and bring to the boil, then clap on the lid and put in the oven. Bake for 7 hrs, turning twice. After 5 hrs the meat will be cooked and offer no resistance to the knife.
• There is no need to rest the meat when cooked in this way, but to finish the sauce, transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving dish. Strain the sauce into a jug and pour or blot away the fat with kitchen paper. Pour the sauce into a pan then boil the liquid hard to reduce by a quarter, by which time it will be rich and flavoursome. Adjust seasoning, add the Armagnac if you wish, and serve alongside the lamb, which should be served with a spoon, a la cuillère as the French call it.

SEVEN-HOUR "SPOON" LAMB

Steps:

• A few hours before cooking the lamb, rub it with the Kosher salt. Place on a platter uncovered in the fridge to marinate. Meanwhile, break apart and separate the cloves, pulling off any extraneous papery skin; don't peel unless you want to. Heat the oil in a large heavy flameproof casserole (enamel on cast-iron is perfect), over moderate heat. Pat the lamb dry and brown to golden, about 5 minutes per side, 20 minutes total. Pour off fat and add the Cognac. Tilt the pan to ignite, taking care to stand back. When the flames have died out, add the white wine, honey, orange zest, thyme and the garlic cloves. Cover with a sheet of foil and press the lid down to seal. Roast in a preheated 200' oven, until the lamb is fork tender, about 7 hours, turning the lamb once halfway through. Transfer the lamb to a platter and cover with the foil. Pour the juices into a cup and skim off the fat. To give the juices a more concentrated flavor, pour into a heavy saucepan and simmer until reduced by about one quarter, or the flavor is right. Pull the meat apart or slice it against the grain and arrange on a platter. Pour some of the juices over and pass the rest.

GIGOT DE SEPT HEURES (FRENCH SEVEN HOUR ROAST LAMB)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 F/ 150°C.
• Make small incisions in the lamb and put a sliver of garlic inside each incision.
• Rub the lamb well with the olive oil and season all over with the salt and pepper.
• Place it in a Dutch oven and add the sliced onions, whole carrots, whole garlic cloves, bouquet garni and wine.
• Put the lid on the Dutch oven.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour and water to form a rough dough, mixing well with a wooden spoon. (Don't worry you don't have to eat it).
• Use the dough like grout to create a seal that connects the lid to the Dutch oven.
• Place in the oven and cook for 7 hours.
• Remove from the oven and break the seal.
• Serve.

SPOON LAMB

Steps:

• Place beans in a bowl, cover with water to a depth of 2 inches and set aside to soak at least 4 hours. Place mushrooms in a bowl, cover with warm water and set aside to soak at least 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a heavy 7- to 8-quart casserole. Add the lamb, and brown it on all sides. Remove it from the casserole, and remove the string.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Add onion and garlic to the casserole and cook over medium heat until soft and starting to brown. Blend the tomato paste and flour together, and add them to casserole. Cook, stirring, a few minutes, then stir in the wine. Add the remaining ingredients. Drain the beans and mushrooms, and add them. Bring to a simmer.
• Return lamb to casserole, cover and place in oven. Cook for 7 hours.
• Serve directly from the casserole, or transfer to a serving dish and serve with tablespoons. The lamb is so soft it can be pulled apart with a spoon. If desired, serve with mashed potatoes or couscous.

GIGOT A LA CUILLèRE - FRENCH SLOW COOKED SPOON LAMB

Steps:

• TRADITIONAL OVEN METHOD.
• Preheat the oven to 120 degrees C or 248 F, gas mark 1/2. Season the leg of lamb with salt and pepper to taste.
• Put the casserole or roasting tin on the hob and brown the lamb thoroughly on all sides (it is important to do this now as the meat will not brown in the oven). If the lamb sticks add a little oil to the casserole. Use the cooker extractor fan to disperse any smoke. Drain away any fat that has gathered in the bottom of the pan.
• Add the vegetables to the casserole along with the white wine and stock. Season and bring to the boil.
• Put on the lid or cover tightly with tin foil and place in the pre heated oven. Bake for 7 hours, turning twice during this time. The meat will be cooked after 5 hours and offer no resistance to the knife.
• The meat requires no resting time when cooked in this way. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Strain the meat juices into a jug and pour or blot away the fat with kitchen paper. Pour the juices into a pan and boil vigorously until reduced by a quarter.
• Adjust the seasoning and add the Armagnac or Madeira. Garnish the lamb with the sprigs of thyme and serve with the sauce. Use a spoon to carve and serve the lamb - a la cuillere as the French call it. It will be tender, succulent and delicious !
• CROCK-POT COOKING METHOD.
• Carry out steps 3 and 4 as shown above; then place into the crock-pot and cook on high for 2 hours and then on low for about 6 hours, or until the lamb is cooked as instructed above - soft and spoonable!
• Serve as before.

AUVERGNESE SEVEN-HOUR LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Pierce the skin of the lamb and insert the cloves of garlic, distributing evenly throughout. Season with salt and pepper.
• Layer the onions, carrots, bay leaves and thyme on the bottom of a large Dutch oven or covered roaster large enough to hold the lamb. Place the lamb on top and roast in the oven, uncovered, for one hour.
• Remove the pan from the oven and slowly add the wine. Cover, place over high heat on top of the stove and bring the liquid to a boil. Return the pan, covered, to the oven, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast the lamb, turning from time to time, until it is very tender and actually falling off the bone. This should generally take two to three hours more.
• One hour before serving, bury the potatoes and tomatoes in the liquid, cover and roast until cooked through. The lamb should be very moist. As the French say, you should be able to eat it with a spoon. Much of the liquid will have cooked away, but what remains will be sweet and flavorful.
• Carefully remove the lamb from the pan, cut the meat into thin slices and serve, surrounded with vegetables and the remaining cooking liquid.