Crispy Aromatic Lamb Recipes

CRISPY MONGOLIAN LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the lamb in a casserole dish with a lid. Add remaining ingredients plus enough water to just cover. Cook with the lid on for 3 hrs until the meat is tender and the bones pull out easily. Allow to cool still covered in the cooking liquid with the lid on. You can do this 1-2 days in advance and let the lamb cool completely in the fridge. This will make the next step easier.
• When cold, lift the lamb out of the liquid and transfer to a baking tray. Skim fat from the sauce. Reserve half the sauce for the noodles (in 'Try' section, below) and bubble the rest, still in the pan, until thick and syrupy. Pour into a small serving bowl. Heat grill to medium and grill lamb until crisp and hot through, but not too dark.
• Shred the lamb, discarding most of the fat and all the bones, but keep the nice, crisp skin. You can cut the skin off first and leave it in a hot oven while you shred the rest of the meat. To serve, take everything to the table and eat the lamb rolled up in the lettuce leaves with the cucumber, spring onions and sauce, plus the noodles on the side.

CRISP LAMB CHOPS WITH AROMATIC WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place lamb shank pieces, the onion, tomato and unpeeled garlic in a roasting pan and bake, turning once, for 45 minutes. Transfer meat, bones and vegetables to a 4-quart pot. Leave as much fat as possible in the pan and discard. Add parsley, bay leaves, 1 sprig rosemary and wine to pot. Add enough water, 2 cups or more, just to cover ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low and simmer, about 3 hours, until liquid is reduced to less than 2 cups.
• Remove meat and bones. Discard bones and save meat for another use, such as pasta sauce. Strain vegetables and liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Skim off as much fat as possible. Bring liquid to a simmer and cook until reduced to a scant cup, about 20 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add half the potatoes and sauté until lightly browned. Remove and repeat with remaining potatoes. Remove. Add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Add sun-dried tomatoes, remaining garlic and 1 sprig rosemary and sauté briefly on low. Return potatoes to skillet, cover and cook 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Season chops with salt. Heat remaining oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Cook chops on high about 3 minutes a side for medium-rare. Reheat sauce. Divide potatoes among four warm dinner plates. Place two chops on each. Spoon sauce over chops, garnish with remaining rosemary and serve.

CRISP-ROASTED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Strip most of the surface fat from the lamb. (Your butcher may already have done this.) Cut between the ribs, almost down to the meaty eye. Divide each rack in half down the middle, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan.
• Roast for 15 minutes, then insert a meat thermometer straight in from one end into the meatiest part. If it reads 125 degrees or more, remove the lamb immediately. If it reads 120 degrees or less, put the lamb back for about 5 minutes, no more. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes; this will give you medium- to medium-rare lamb on the outer ribs, medium rare-to-rare in the center. Cook a little longer for more doneness. Serve, separating the ribs, if desired, by cutting down straight through them.

CRISPY LAMB MEATBALLS WITH CHICKPEAS AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Combine lamb, fennel seeds, garlic and 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and black pepper to taste, and mix until everything is well combined and the spices are evenly distributed.
• Using your hands, roll lamb mixture into balls about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. You should have about 12 meatballs.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs - work in batches if your skillet can't comfortably fit them all without crowding - and cook, gently rotating them occasionally so they more or less brown on all sides while keeping a vaguely round shape, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not stress about this part; they will be delicious no matter what shape they are.) After they are evenly browned and cooked through, transfer them to a plate, leaving the fat and any browned bits behind.
• Add 4 tablespoons oil to the skillet and, working in batches, if needed, add eggplant slices in an even layer, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook the slices, flipping them once, until they are browned on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add more oil as needed. After eggplant slices are cooked and browned, transfer them to the plate with the meatballs.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the skillet, along with chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (They won't exactly crisp; you're just looking to take the edge off and get them nicely seasoned.)
• Season yogurt with salt and pepper and smear onto the bottom of a large plate or serving platter. Top with meatballs, eggplant and chickpeas. Scatter with greens and cilantro, and then squeeze lemon halves over everything before serving.