Braised Lamb With Almonds And Mint Recipes

BRAISED LAMB WITH TOMATO AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Cut 2 pounds lamb shoulder into 2-inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brown in a large skillet over medium-high heat; remove.
• To the skillet, add onion, garlic, carrots, olives and cloves; cook until fragrant. Add wine, tomatoes with their juice and browned lamb. When the liquid boils, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Garnish: Chopped toasted almonds and cilantro.

MOROCCAN LAMB WITH APRICOTS, ALMONDS & MINT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole. Add the lamb and cook over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until evenly browned, stirring often. Remove the lamb to a plate, using a slotted spoon.
• Stir the onion and garlic into the casserole and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Return the lamb to the pot. Add the stock, zest and juice, cinnamon, honey and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 1 hour.
• Add the apricots and two-thirds of the mint and cook for 30 minutes until the lamb is tender. Stir in the ground almonds to thicken the sauce. Serve with the remaining mint and toasted almonds scattered over the top.

BRAISED LAMB WITH HONEY AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Put oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until quite soft, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and raise heat to medium-high. Add lamb chunks and adjust heat so pieces brown rapidly without burning. Season meat with salt and pepper as it browns.
• Turn off heat and wait for pan to cool a bit; pour off excess fat. Turn heat back to medium and add honey; cook, stirring, until honey has thinned and coated lamb. Stir in garlic, then add spices, reserved onions and the stock. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, an hour or more.
• Meanwhile, put almonds in a skillet, in one layer. Cook over medium heat, shaking skillet, until lightly browned and fragrant.
• Taste meat mixture and adjust seasoning as necessary. Stir in almonds and serve, sprinkled with a few drops of lemon juice and garnished with the parsley

BRAISED MOROCCAN-STYLE LAMB WITH DRIED PRUNES, ALMONDS AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay the lamb out, skin side down, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and the thyme. Roll and tie well with butcher's string. Sprinkle the outside with 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large oven-proof casserole. Add the lamb and brown on all sides. Remove lamb from pot. Add remaining tablespoon oil. Stir in onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining teaspoon cumin, the rosemary and the red wine. Bring to a boil and cook about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Return the lamb to the pot, cover, place in the oven and bake until meat is almost tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and take out the meat. Remove the vegetables from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them in a blender. Blend until smooth. Scrape the mixture back into the pot and stir well. Place over medium heat and cook about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Return the meat to the sauce and surround with the almonds, prunes and apricots. Cover and bake until meat is very tender and fruit is soft, about 15 minutes.
• Remove lamb from the pot, cut and remove string and cut lamb into thin slices. If sauce is too thick, thin with a little additional broth. Divide the lamb among 8 plates and spoon some sauce over the top. Serve immediately, passing any remaining sauce separately.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH MINT AND FLAGEOLETS

Steps:

• Wipe the lamb shanks dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with the garlic, rosemary, mint, thyme and two tablespoons olive oil. Season with pepper and marinate overnight. Rinse and pick over the flageolets. Soak overnight in water.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the remaining olive oil. Dredge lamb shanks in flour and brown them on all sides.
• Remove the lamb and add the onions with the garlic from the marinade. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, white wine and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and scrape up the cooking juices. Add the lamb shanks, which should fit in one layer, and bake in the oven for two hours, covered or until tender. A large cast-iron casserole is good for this.
• Meanwhile, bring the beans to a boil, drain them and add four cups of fresh cold water. Simmer for about an hour or until cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• When the lamb shanks are cooked, remove them from the sauce. Reduce the sauce so that it is thick enough to coat the shanks without being too soupy. Put the beans on the outer edges of a serving dish and put the shanks in the middle. Top them with the sauce and sprinkle with the fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.