Braised Lamb With Anchovy Sauce Abbacchio Alla Cacciatora Recipes

ROMAN LAMB STEW (ABBACCHIO ALLA CACCIATORA)

Steps:

• Peel the garlic and cut one clove in half and set aside. Roughly chop the other clove.
• Remove the leaves from the stem of rosemary and finely chop them. Add the garlic and anchovies to the rosemary and chop them all together until they form a coarse paste. Use the side of your knife to mash the garlic and anchovies a little towards the end, adding a little salt if needed to help them mash.
• Place the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add the vinegar. Mix all together so the paste breaks up in the liquid. Set aside.
• Warm the oil in a medium-large Dutch oven or similar pan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the two halves of garlic clove and brown on both sides then remove from the pan.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the lamb. It can be good to start by adding some, then wait a minute before adding the rest to save the temperature reducing too much. Season the meat with salt and pepper then turn the meat to brown it all over.
• Once the meat has browned, sprinkle over the flour and stir to mix through. Try to avoid having any lumps of flour left.
• Add the wine to the pan and stir to deglaze any browning from the bottom of the pan. Allow most of the alcohol to evaporate then add the rosemary-vinegar mixture.
• Stir through the vinegar mixture then reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat further if needed to have the mixture just gently simmering. Cook for around 1 - 1 1/2 hours until the meat is very tender. If needed, top up the liquid a little with some water or stock so it doesn't become dry, but you don't want a very liquid mixture either. Serve the meat with the sauce that has formed.

LAMB IN FRASCATI WINE (ABBACCHIO ALLA CACCIATORA)

Steps:

• Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy casserole and lightly brown chops on high heat, working in shifts if necessary. Remove chops as they are browned. It is fine if some separate into smaller pieces. Reduce heat to very low, add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add rosemary, anchovies and chili flakes and cook 1 minute. Add vinegar and wine, increase heat and cook until reduced by half. Return lamb to casserole, add stock, reduce heat to low and cook, partly covered, 1 hour. Halfway, turn chops in pan.
• Remove lamb, increase heat and reduce sauce for 5 minutes or so until starting to thicken. Check seasoning, briefly reheat lamb in sauce and serve, garnished with rosemary sprigs, with potatoes alongside.

ABBACCHIO ALLA CACCIATORE

Steps:

• The lamb should be a combination of leg, shoulder, ribs and kidneys.
• Cut lamb into 2 ounce pieces then rinse to remove bone splinters and dry thoroughly.
• Sauté 2 of the garlic cloves in 2 tbsp olive oil and melted lard in a LARGE saucepan. You want the pan so large you can put the lamb in a single layer.
• After saute remove the garlic then add the lamb. Turn and brown evenly.
• While browning wash and fillet the anchovies.
• Mince the rosemary leaves finely, together with the remaining garlic and the anchovy fillets.
• Pour this into 3/4 cup vinegar, mixing well.
• When the lamb is browned, add pepper and a small amount of salt if needed. Remember anchovies are very salty so you might want to hold back on the salt.
• Moistening the meat first with the vinegar mixture and then with water and continue to cook, over a medium heat for 30 minutes
• Preheat a platter and place lamb with cooking juice on it.
• Servings are based on 1/2 pound per person. If you serve more or less per person servings will vary. Time is a guess.