Leg Of Lamb With Savory Beans Recipes

ROAST RED WINE LAMB WITH ITALIAN BEANS

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, cut small slashes all over the lamb, then push a slice of garlic into each. Put half the thyme, 3 tbsp olive oil, wine, lemon zest and a good grinding of black pepper into a large freezer bag. Addthe lamb, tie the bag tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hrs, preferably overnight.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the rest of the thyme into the bottom of a roasting tin then lift the lamb out of the marinade and sit on top of the thyme. Roast for 20 mins, then toss onions into the pan, drizzle with a little oil, then turn the oven down to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roast for 15 mins/450g for medium. Meanwhile, strain the marinade into a pan, add most of the stock and boil until reduced by two thirds (this will take about 20 mins). Set aside. Gravy can be made ahead or the day before if necessary, as long as the meat has marinated for 4 hrs.
• Once the lamb is ready, take out and rest on a board, wrapped in a tent of foil to keep warm. Set the onions aside in a bowl. Put the roasting tin onto a low heat and add the balsamic vinegar to the tin with a splash more stock and scrape all the meaty bits from the bottom. Tip into the jug with the gravy.
• For the beans, add 2 tbsp oil to the roasting tin. Add the rosemary and tomatoes, and fry for 1 min until the rosemary smells aromatic. Tip in the beans, the red onions and the final splash of stock, then warm through. Season, then stir in the parsley just before serving. Serve on a platter, topped with the lamb.

LEG OF LAMB WITH SAVORY BEANS

Steps:

• Put the beans in Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Add 8 cups water and place pot over high heat. Stick 1 whole clove into each onion half. Add onion, bay leaves, carrot, garlic, thyme and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to a bare simmer and cover with lid ajar. (The slow simmer keeps the beans from bursting.) After 30 minutes, taste the bean broth, and add salt as necessary. Cook for about another 30 minutes, but check for tenderness after 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let beans cool in their cooking liquid. (You may cook the beans several hours, or up to 1 day, in advance.)
• Meanwhile, prepare the lamb: With a sharp paring knife, make 24 small slits over the surface of the lamb. Using your fingers, push a garlic sliver into each slit.
• Season the leg generously all over with kosher salt, then sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon black pepper. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, and massage oil and seasonings all over the meat. Leave at room temperature for at least an hour. (Alternatively, wrap and refrigerate the seasoned leg for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
• Heat oven to 475 degrees. In a sturdy roasting pan, arrange the onions and celery. Lay down the thyme and rosemary branches and set the lamb leg on top. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then add wine to the pan and turn heat to 350 degrees. Continue cooking, basting the roast occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees for medium-rare or 140 for medium, which will take up to 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board and keep warm, tented with foil, for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the onions, celery, thyme and rosemary from the roasting pan and discard. Skim fat from surface of pan juices.
• Set pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust with a splash of water if the pan juices are too salty.
• While lamb is resting, boil carrots in well-salted water until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, toss with butter and keep warm.
• Reheat the beans in their broth, then drain reserving bean broth for another use. Remove and discard onion, bay leaves, carrot, garlic and thyme. Put beans in a warm serving dish. Toss beans gently with the parsley, chives, lemon zest, olive oil and pepper. Reheat pan juices, strain and pour into a serving vessel.
• Carve the lamb and arrange on serving platter along with the carrots. Garnish with watercress, if desired.

SLOW-ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• 1. Cook the lamb: Heat oven to 300˚. Rub lamb with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer lamb to a plate. Add wine and 2 cups water to the Dutch oven; scrape up browned bits from bottom of pot. Nestle garlic and herbs into a large oval casserole; place lamb on top of herbs; add pan juices from Dutch oven. Cover lamb with foil; transfer to oven and roast, basting frequently, for 3 hours. Uncover, flip lamb, and continue to cook, basting frequently, until lamb is very tender, 2-3 more hours. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 20 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the beans: About 1 1⁄2 hours before the lamb is done, drain beans and transfer to a 4-qt. saucepan along with 6 cups water, 4 cloves garlic, and the herb bundle. Insert the cloves into the onion and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Remove pot from heat and season with salt and pepper. Discard herbs and strain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Transfer 2 cups beans, 1⁄4 cup cooking liquid, oil, crème fraîche, and remaining garlic clove to a blender and purée. Stir puréed bean mixture and about 1 cup of the cooking liquid back into pot and cover to keep warm until lamb is cooked. Serve the lamb sliced or torn into chunks, alongside the beans. SERVES 6 - 8 Pairing Note: This rich Provençal dish calls for a wine with ripe tannins from the south of France, like the Domaine Leon Barral Faugères 2004 ($33), from the Languedoc. -Ania Zawieja This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #123

ROAST LEG OF BABY LAMB

Steps:

• Cut small slits in the lamb, inserting garlic cloves into the slits. Rub the lamb lightly with olive oil, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
• Bring the lamb to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, rubbing seasonings into the flesh. Pour a thin film of olive oil into a heatproof roasting pan, gratin dish or ovenproof skillet. Place on top of the stove over medium heat. Brown the lamb, turning carefully once or twice, until golden on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Scatter lamb bones around the leg and place the pan in the oven. Roast 20 minutes.
• Scatter the vegetables (except the fava beans) around the lamb and roast 10 minutes longer. Pour the wine and water around the lamb and roast another 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the lamb to a plate, wrap loosely in aluminum foil and let rest for 30 to 60 minutes. Strain the pan juices (do not degrease), then season the juices and keep warm.
• While the lamb is roasting, remove the fava beans from their pods, peeling off the thin skin that surrounds each bean. Blanch the beans, uncovered, in a large pot of boiling salted water for three minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, drain again and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; add the spring onion and cook until softened, two or three minutes. Add the fava beans and cook gently, stirring, for five minutes. Stir in the reserved lamb juices; heat through for a moment. Add the savory leaves and correct seasonings. Place the fava beans in the center of a warm serving platter. Unwrap the lamb and place it carefully over the beans. Carve the lamb into slices at the table and serve with the fava beans and their juices, garnishing each portion with a sprig or two of savory.

LEBANESE LAMB AND BEAN STEW

Steps:

• Cover beans with cold water by 3 inches in a bowl and soak at room temperature at least 8 hours. Drain well in a colander.
• Bring lamb, baharat, and water (9 cups) to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot, then vigorously simmer mixture, covered, until meat is almost tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Add beans and cook, uncovered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour more. Meanwhile, heat oil over moderate heat in a 12-inch heavy skillet until hot but not smoking, then cook onions, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring, until onions are pale golden and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. When beans are tender, stir in tomato-onion mixture and simmer until just heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
• *A Middle Easterna and African ground-spice mixture that typically contains allspice, cinnamon, clove, cumin, Maras chile, and black pepper. Available at Middle Eastern markets and Formaggio Kitchen (888-212-3224; formaggiokitchen.com).

ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Use a small sharp knife to make about a dozen incisions, each about 2 inches deep, through the fat that covers the top of the meat. Using a mortar and pestle or a blender, blend 2/3 of the anchovies (or 2/3 of the mustard if using), the rosemary leaves and the garlic cloves into a chunky paste. Using your fingers, press paste deeply into incisions.
• Mix remaining anchovies (or mustard) and the butter into a paste. Smear this mixture all over the surface of the roast. Season liberally with black pepper. (Do not add salt; the anchovies are salty enough, and so is the mustard.) Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and squeeze the lemon halves over. Pour the wine around the roast into the pan.
• Roast 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast until internal temperature reaches 130 to 135 degrees (for medium-rare or medium meat), about another 60 to 90 minutes. Baste every 20 minutes or so with the wine and drippings in the pan, adding more wine as needed to keep the liquid from scorching. If possible, for the last 15 minutes of cooking, use convection or a broiler to crisp the fat on the roast.
• Remove pan from the oven, remove rack from the pan, and let the roast rest on the rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes in a warm place, tented with foil. The internal temperature will rise to about 140 to 145 degrees.
• To make sauce from the pan drippings, remove a few tablespoons of fat by tipping the pan and spooning off the top layer. Put the pan over medium heat until the liquid simmers. Taste the simmering liquid and whisk in more wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the consistency and flavor are right. Do not let the mixture become syrupy; it should be a sharp jus, not a thick gravy.
• Carve lamb into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a heated platter, decorated with rosemary sprigs. Serve with piping hot gravy.

SAVORY ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 deg. F. Place lamb on rack in roasting pan. Insert thermometer into thickest part of lamb without touching bone. Roast 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 325 deg. F.
• In small bowl, mix mustard and next 6 ingredients. Spread over top and sides of lamb. Roast 30 - 35 minutes per pound for rare, 40 - 45 minutes for medium or until thermometer reaches degree of desired doneness: 140 deg for rare, 160 deg for medium, 175 deg. for well-done. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Remove bay leaves.
• To make sauce, add wine, beef broth and water to roasting pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh rosemary, if desired. Serve with sauce.

LEG OF LAMB WITH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse and drain beans. In a 6-quart kettle, combine beans with 6 cups cold water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Cover; remove from heat; let stand 1 hour. Drain beans, reserving lequid. Measure liquid. Add water to make 2 quarts.
• Return beans and their liquid to kettle; bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cover; simmer gently for 1 hour, or just until beans are tender but not mushy. Place beans in colander and drain. Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Peel 1 clove of the garlic, and crush in garlic press.
• Heat butter in large skillet; saute sliced onion and crushed garlic until golden -- about 10 minutes.
• In shallow roasting pan, combine cooked beans, onion mixture, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper and tomatoes; mix well.
• Pat lamb dry with paper towels; trim off most of the fat. Using a paring knife, make 6 small slits in in flesh. Peel 2 cloves garlic; cut into slivers; insert slivers of garlic in each slit in surface. Sprinkle lamb with the remaining rosemary, thyme and salt.
• Arrange leg of lamb on top of beans; insert meat thermometer into the meatiest part of leg -- do not let it rest against the bone.
• Roast, uncovered, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or to 175°F on meat thermometer, for well done. Roast 20 minutes less for medium-well or pink.
• To serve: Remove lamb to heated platter or carving board. Allow roast to stand about 20 minutes before carving for easier slicing. With long, sharp knife, cut long, thin, flat slices from leg. Spoon beans around lamb. Garnish with parsley.

BRETON BRAISED LAMB & HARICOT BEANS

Steps:

• Put the beans in a saucepan and cover with water. Add the quartered onion, the halved carrot and halved celery, the bay leaves, parsley stalks and peppercorns. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 mins until the beans are soft. Drain well and reserve the cooking liquid, discarding the onion, carrot and celery.
• While the beans are cooking, heat half the olive oil in a heavy-based flameproof casserole. Brown the lamb in batches over a high heat. As each batch is cooked, remove it and set aside on a plate. Reduce the heat, add the chopped onion to the pan with the diced celery and carrot and cook until well coloured. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of mins.
• Return the lamb to the pan and add all the remaining ingredients, except the beans. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to very low and cover, then cook for 2 hrs. Add the beans 45 mins before the end of cooking time. Stir the lamb round every so often. If the lamb looks dry, add some of the bean cooking liquid.
• Remove the lid for the last 30 mins of cooking time, and season. This helps the cooking liquid to reduce. You should end up with a thick stew of tender lamb and soft beans. Scatter over the parsley and serve.

SPANISH-STYLE SLOW-COOKED LAMB SHOULDER & BEANS

Steps:

• To make the spice mix, combine all of the ingredients together with a large pinch of salt. Slash the lamb shoulder all over with a sharp knife and rub in. If you have the time, marinate for up to 24 hrs, but this is not essential.
• Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or roasting tin over a medium-high heat, add the onions, carrots and garlic and sizzle for 5 mins until the onions and carrots are softened. Pour over the stock, then bring to the boil. Nestle the lamb in the pan and cover, then transfer to the oven and roast for 2 hrs.
• Uncover and transfer the lamb to a plate using tongs. Stir the beans, peppers and olives through the stock in the pan, sit the lamb back on top and return to the oven, uncovered, for 1 hr 30 mins until the lamb is cooked through. Transfer the lamb to a board and shred using two forks. Stir the parsley through the braised beans before serving.