Tag: Lamb

Stuffed lamb (l’aïado)

Natalie Hanson

For 10 to 12 people.  Have the butcher bone the lamb, leaving it in one piece so it can be rolled around the stuffing. It can be served with cut baked potatoes flavored with garlic and thyme.

 6 to 8 lbs leg of lamb, boned (reserve the bones)
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 shallots, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 cups of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
4 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper

  • In a large bowl, mix the onion, shallots, garlic, herbs and bread crumbs.
  • Stir in the oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Spread the stuffing on the lamb, roll it up, and tie with string in several places to hold it close.
  • The above steps can be done the day before.
  • The flavors of the herbs permeate the meat.

Cooking liquid

3 small carrots, peeled and diced
1 small onion pricked with 3 cloves
1 sprig of fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, sprig of rosemary
1 Tbsp of dried thyme to sprinkle on roast

  • Prepare the cooking liquid by placing the carrots, onion, herbs and lamb bones in a deep pot.
  • Barely cover with water and cook over high heat for about 2 hours.
  • Strain and refrigerate.
  • These steps also can be done the day before.
  • Skim the fat from the stock.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F
  • Pour the cooking liquid into a large roasting pan (or continue to reduce on top of the stove).
  • Douse the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350°F, and continue to cook for about 1 hour or more (meat thermometer reading 140°F for medium rare).
  • To serve, cut in thin slices and cover with the cooking liquid.

Rack of lamb persillade

Natalie Hanson

One rack (about 3 pounds trimmed or 9 ribs) serves 4 people.  For 8 people, buy two racks.  Be aware that Spring lamb racks are much smaller.  For 8 people, buy two and don’t cut them in half as follows.

To control the doneness, cut the rack in two.  After “frenching” the tips of the bones, form an arch with the two pieces.  A rack has one end with fatter ribs.  So, one side of the rack will be rarer, which will please a wider range of people’s taste as far as doneness is concerned.  If you don’t like the meat springy, at least keep it completely pink.  Any more cooking will destroy the delicacy of the taste.

2 racks of lamb, trimmed for roasting
4 Tbsp of homemade bread crumbs
7 Tbsp of sweet butter, (4 of the Tbsp clarified)
1 Tbsp of Dijon mustard
4 Tbsp of minced parsley
Pepper, freshly ground
1 cup of chicken stock
Salt

Preheat oven 450°F.

  • Mince the parsley very fine and mix it with the bread crumbs.
  • Dribble the clarified butter on the meat and cook on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the meat and set on a platter.
  • Reduce temperature to 400°F.
  • Brush the mustard over the rack and grind fresh pepper over them.
  • Sprinkle the mixture of parsley and bread crumbs over the rack and pat it with your hands.
  • Wait 15 minutes more for final cooking while you organize the rest of the meal.
  • Return the rack of lamb to the roasting pan and cook for another 15 minutes at 400°F.
  • Remove to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before carving.
  • Meanwhile, discard the fat from the roasting pan.
  • Deglaze with the stock until it gets syrupy.
  • Turn off the heat and whisk in 3 Tbsp of butter.  The sauce will thicken slightly.
  • Season and pour into a hot gravy boat.
  • Cut the chops and arrange them on hot plates.  Let each guest salt his chops.

Leg of lamb with roasted vegetables

Natalie Hanson

Wipe the leg of lamb dry with paper towels. Make several incisions in the meat and insert garlic cloves a few hours before cooking your meat.  Rub olive oil all around and sprinkle with Herbes de Provence.  A 6-pound leg of lamb will serve about 8 people.

2 large carrots, quartered
2 large onions, quartered
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of chicken stock (home made or low sodium)

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Place the leg of lamb in a roasting pan and set in the upper third of the oven.
  • Cook for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Turn oven down to 350°F.
  • Put the vegetables all around the meat and add 1/2 cup of the stock to the roasting pan.
  • Add the rest of the stock during cooking time when needed.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the garlic about half an hour before end of cooking.
  • If you want, insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the roast, but without touching the bone.
  • The inside temperature should not be more than 140°F for a nice rosy lamb.
  • Or cook for about 1-1/4 hours until the juices run clear pink when pricked.
  • Do not overcook lamb.
  • Once cooked, transfer the meat to a warm platter and let it rest at room temperature for 15 or 20 minutes before carving.
  • Spoon the fat out of the cooking liquid.
  • Strain the vegetable but press all the juices out.
  • Deglaze the roasting pan, using more stock if necessary.
  • Serve the lamb on hot plates with the following vegetables.

4 zucchinis
2 red, 2 green, 2 yellow peppers
6 carrots
6 onions
a pinch of fresh rosemary leaves
olive oil, salt and pepper

  • Put all the vegetables, cut in chunks, in two large baking dishes coated with olive oil.
  • Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and the rosemary leaves.
  • Douse with olive oil.
  • Put in a preheated 400°F oven.
  • Toss once or twice during cooking time – about 45 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with salt before serving with the roast.

Gigot sauce à l’ail

Natalie Hanson

For 4 to 6 people.

4 lb. leg of lamb
Olive oil for brushing
1 carrot, roughly sliced
1 large onion, roughly sliced
3 to 6 cloves of unpeeled garlic
salt and pepper
1 cup of stock

1 large head of garlic
3/4 cup of milk
Salt, thyme or rosemary
1-1/2 Tbsps of raw rice
1 cup of stock

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Brush the lamb with oil, and set in the oven on a roasting pan.
  • Add the carrot and the onions.
  • Turn and baste the meat every 5 minutes for about 15 minutes.
  • Turn down oven to 350°F.
  • Cook for about an hour.
  • Remove the lamb to a platter, and let it rest for 30 minutes in the warm oven.
  • Remove fat from roasting pan.
  • Pour in the stock, and boil rapidly.
  • Season to taste.
  • Strain into a hot sauceboat, and stir in any juice which may have escaped from the roast.

Sauce à l’ail

  • Separate the garlic cloves, and bring them to a boil in a saucepan of water.
  • Boil for 30 seconds.
  • Drain and peel the cloves.
  • Set in cold water, and then bring to a boil again.
  • Drain.
  • In the saucepan, bring the milk, salt, herbs, and rice to a simmer.
  • Add the garlic, and simmer slowly for 45 minutes, putting in more milk if the rice starts scorching.
  • Pour the sauce à l’ail into the sauceboat, and reheat if needed.
  • Serve the sauce with the roast.

Eggplant and lamb lasagne

Natalie Hanson

Add the salt, pepper and herbs to each batch of ingredients as you cook them, as it’s easier to taste. Also, for assembling the lasagna, have all the ingredients warm to check for the right consistency.

  • 2 lb of eggplants (about 4 unpeeled eggplants) baked for 1 hour or more in 400°F oven. Prick them with a fork on the top surface so they do not explode.
  • 2 lb of ground lamb, cooked and drained of fat
  • 2-3 large onions, sliced
  • Thyme, salt and pepper
  • 3 packages of sliced mozzarella cheese
  • 1 package of grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 5 ounce package of parmesan, grated
  • 1 can of tomato sauce (I buy Classico w/ roasted peppers and onions, or sundried tomato sauce)
  • Madeira wine
  • 1 package of oven ready lasagne 

Béchamel sauce

5 Tbsp of butter
5 Tbsp of flour
2 cups of milk
Some salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg

  • Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a medium pan, add the flour and mix well.
  • Slowly add the milk and keep the mixture smooth.
  • Let it come to a boiling point to make sure the flour is cooked.
  • Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
  • Put a thin layer of milk or cream on top to prevent a skin from forming. Reserve.
  • Cook the onions in a heavy skillet until slightly brown.
  • Add salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme.
  • While the onions are cooking, take the pulp out of the cooked and cooled eggplants.
  • Crush the pulp with a fork or crudely cut with a knife.
  • Add the onions and the cooked ground lamb to this mixture.
  • Add half the béchamel sauce, half the grated mozzarella cheese and all of the parmesan cheese.
  • Mix well.
  • Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Put the tomato sauce in the food processor if it is chunky, add a bit of Madeira wine, cook for 10 minutes and reserve.

Assembling the lasagne

  • Butter the whole lasagna dish and spread the remaining béchamel sauce at the bottom of the pan in a thin layer.
  • If there is too much left, add the remaining sauce to the mixture of eggplant/lamb/onion.
  • Put a layer of oven ready lasagne on top of the sauce and layer immediately with 1/3 of the eggplant mixture.
  • Cover with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
  • Repeat one or two more time depending on the depth of your pan.
  • Finish with a layer of lasagne.
  • Cover it with the tomato sauce.
  • Cook for 1 hour at 350°F.  The lasagne can also be frozen at this stage.*
  • When ready to serve, add the remaining mozzarella cheese and cook until brown on top.

* From the freezer, cook the lasagne covered for two hours (325°F) to unfreeze, then proceed the last line.

Daube d’agneau provençale

Natalie Hanson

This is a very simple and inexpensive stew which is better done at least a day ahead.

2 Tbsp of olive oil
2 onions, sliced
3 lb of lamb shoulder cut in large pieces
10 carrots, sliced
4 potatoes, sliced
1 can of italian tomatoes
1 cup of white wine
1 Tbsp of Herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
Garlic and parsley
Green olives (optional)
2  10 ounce packages of mushrooms

  • In a large covered casserole heat the oil and sweat the onions.
  • In the meantime, brown the pieces of meat in a large skillet.
  • Add the meat to the casserole and deglaze the skillet with the white wine.
  • Add the resulting liquid to the casserole as well. Sprinkle the Herbes de Provence on the meat.
  • Add the carrots, potatoes, herbs, garlic and parsley.
  • Cover with the tomatoes.
  • Cook for 1 hour without stirring.
  • In the meantime, cook the mushrooms.
  • Season and reserve.
  • After 1 hour of cooking, add the mushrooms (and the green olives).
  • Cook for another 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.

Blanquette d’agneau des bords du Rhone

Natalie Hanson

3-1/2 lbs shoulder of lamb
2 medium onions finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Salt, pepper
Bouquet garni
1/2 cup of beurre manié
2/3 cup of mayonnaise
Juice of lemon

  • Remove the meat from the bones, trim excess fat and cut the meat into 2 inch cubes.
  • Heat a bit of oil in a large pan, add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring all the time, for 5 minutes.
  • Do not brown.
  • Add the meat and seal in the oil but do not let brown.
  • Pour in enough hot water to cover the meat, add the salt, pepper and bouquet garni, simmer gently for 1 hour or more.
  • Add the beurre manié a little at a time over the heat until a creamy sauce is obtained and the flour is cooked.
  • Remove the meat and vegetable in a hot serving dish after draining the sauce from them.
  • Discard the bouquet garni and place the meat in a warm serving dish. Reserve.
  • Mix a little of the sauce with the homemade mayonnaise, return to the pan, mix well and add lemon juice and seasoning.
  • Strain some sauce over the meat, garnish with the vegetable and sprinkle with parsley.
  • Serve the rest of the sauce separately.

Garnish (cooked separately and tossed in butter)

1/2 lb of green beans
1/2 lb of carrots
Parsley

Mayonnaise

  • Beat 2 egg yolks with 1 tsp of Dijon mustard and a dash of white pepper.
  • Drip about 1 cup of olive oil in this mixture, slowly at the beginning and faster when it starts to thicken.
  • Add 2 Tbsp of lemon and some salt.

Beurre manié

  • 1/4 cup of butter worked together with 1/2 cup of flour.