Braised Lamb With Spring Veg Gremolata Recipes

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND SPRING GREMOLATA

Steps:

• For lamb:
• Sprinkle lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Heat oil in heavy large deep pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, if necessary, add lamb to pot and cook until browned on all sides, turning often, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to large bowl. Add onions, carrots, and celery to same pot; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Return lamb to pot; bring to boil (liquid may not cover lamb completely). Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until lamb is very tender and begins to fall off bones, turning occasionally, about 3 hours.
• Using tongs, transfer lamb to platter. Discard bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Spoon off fat from surface of pan juices; discard. Using immersion blender, puree pan juices until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return lamb shanks to pan juices. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• For gremolata:
• Mix all ingredients in small bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• For vegetables:
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender, about 18 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to medium bowl. Add carrots to same pot; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrots to bowl with potatoes. Add sugar snap peas to same pot; cook 1 minute. Drain. Add to bowl with potatoes and carrots. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Bring lamb and pan juices to simmer over medium heat until heated through.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables; sauté about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer lamb and pan juices to large platter or bowl. Surround with vegetables; scatter pea tendrils over vegetables. Sprinkle lamb with gremolata and serve.
• Ingredient tip:
• Green garlic has a more delicate flavor than mature garlic. The tops of green garlic look like green onions; the root ends are white and light purple. Look for green garlic at farmers' markets during the spring months.

BRAISED LAMB WITH SPRING VEG & GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Make several slashes about 1cm deep in each shank, then put them in a large roasting tin. Rub the rosemary, oil and seasoning into the meat. Leave to marinate for 30 mins if you have time. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
• Brown the lamb shanks in the oven for 20 mins, turning halfway. Add the carrots and all but one of the garlic cloves, turn them in some of the fat in the pan, then roast for 5 mins more. Pour in the wine and stock (make sure the carrots aren't too submerged), then cover the tin tightly with foil. Reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for 2½ hrs or until the shanks are meltingly tender.
• Chop the parsley, lemon zest and the remaining garlic clove and mix to make the gremolata. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
• Lift the shanks and carrots from their broth, cover and keep warm. Skim most of the fat from the sauce, then boil the sauce hard for 10 mins in a pan to reduce it by half. Check the seasoning and add the peas and the onion greens for the last few mins.
• To serve, return the shanks and carrots to the tin, pour over the sauce, scatter with the gremolata and squeeze over some lemon juice, if you like.