Passover Inspired Braised Lamb With Dried Fruit Recipes

BRAISED LAMB WITH HORSERADISH AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• Make the lamb:
• 1. Combine the salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting cover, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add as many of the lamb cubes as will fit without crowding and cook, undisturbed, until they are well browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. (You will inevitably have to brown in batches.) Turn the cubes over, season with some of the salt and pepper mix, and brown on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat (the browning will take about 15 minutes total if your skillet is 12 inches or larger). Adjust the heat so the pieces brown as rapidly as possible without burning. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool for 1 minute.
• 2. Turn the heat back to medium, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 1 minute. Pour the stock, wine, or water into the pan, raise the heat, and bring the liquid to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any cooked-on bits. Simmer for 1 minute.
• 3. Add the browned lamb, along with any juices that have collected on the plate. Bring the pot to a boil, cover, then reduce the heat until the mixture simmers very gently.
• 4. Peel the horseradish and cut it into 1/4-inch-thick slices (keep the root from your eyes and nose; it's pungent). Stir the horseradish into the pot. Simmer, covered, until the lamb is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours (shoulder meat will cook faster than leg meat). Taste the lamb before serving and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Make the parsley purée:
• 5. In a blender combine the parsley with half the olive oil and the garlic cloves. Purée to a rough paste, then pour in the remaining oil while the blender is running and process to a smooth paste. Mix in the vinegar and salt, taste, and adjust the seasonings if desired.
• 6. Serve the stew, passing the parsley purée on the side.

BRAISED LAMB WITH ANCHOVIES, GARLIC AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Cut 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 shallot, garlic, and a few anchovy fillets; cook until fragrant. Add wine, stock or water 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: 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 IN ORANGE-MERLOT SAUCE (PASSOVER)

Steps:

• Combine the basil, oregano, rosemary, orange juice, orange zest, Merlot and garlic and pour over the rinsed lamb shanks in a wide glass dish (shanks should be in a single layer).
• Turn the shanks to coat and cover.
• Marinate 2 hours at room temperature, turning the meat every half hour or marinate in the refrigerator, turning meat occasionally.
• Remove the shanks from the marinade and dry them with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Season the lamb with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat for 20 seconds. Add the olive oil and heat for 10 seconds then lower the heat to medium-high and add the lamb shanks.
• Cook each side for approximately 2 minutes until browned on all sides.
• Place shanks in a single layer in a casserole dish and pour the chicken stock into the hot pan.
• Scrape up any meat particles, add them to the reserved marinade and pour over the shanks in the casserole and cover with a lid (use foil if no lid).
• Put casserole in the preheated oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. (The hot oven will sear the meat initially, but the mixture needs to cook at a lower temperature or the meat will toughen.).
• Roast for 45 minutes then baste and cook for another 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
• If the liquid has reduced greatly, add 1/2 cup of water to the pan.
• Remove the shanks to a serving platter and keep warm.
• If the gravy is too watery, boil the liquid down 5-10 minutes, or until it is the consistency of tomato sauce.
• Drizzle some of the sauce over the shanks and serve.

SPICED BRAISED LAMB WITH CARROTS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat lamb dry and sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb in 5 batches, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch, adding more oil as needed. Transfer as browned to an ovenproof 6- to 7-quart wide heavy pot.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion and celery in remaining fat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 cup water and deglaze skillet by boiling, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute, then pour mixture over lamb in pot.
• Pour juice from can of tomatoes into stew, then coarsely chop tomatoes and add to stew along with remaining cup water and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil (liquid should almost cover meat).
• Cover pot and braise lamb in middle of oven 1 1/2 hours. Stir in carrots and continue to braise until carrots and lamb are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer pot to top of stove and, working over moderately high heat, stir in spinach by handfuls to soften it. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH DRIED FRUITS

Steps:

• Make marinade:
• In a 9- to 10-quart heavy ovenproof kettle whisk together marinade ingredients.
• Add shanks to marinade and toss to coat. Marinate shanks, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Transfer shanks with tongs to a plate. Pat shanks dry and season with salt and pepper. Pour marinade through a sieve set over a bowl and reserve vegetables, liquid, and bouquet garni separately. In kettle heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and brown shanks on all sides in batches, transferring to a plate. Add reserved vegetables to fat remaining in kettle and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add vegetables to shanks.
• Add flour to kettle and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, 3 minutes, or until golden. Whisk in reserved marinade liquid and add reserved bouquet garni, shank mixture, and tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half. Add water and braise mixture, covered, in middle of oven 2 hours, or until lamb is tender.
• While shanks are braising, peel and core apples and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a large heavy skillet heat remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook apples, stirring, 2 minutes. Add orange juice and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Keep apple mixture warm.
• Arrange shanks around edge of a large platter and spoon apple mixture into center of platter. Keep shanks and apple mixture warm.
• Bring braising liquid to a boil, skimming any fat that rises to surface, and discard bouquet garni. Add dried fruits and mint and simmer sauce 5 minutes, or until fruits are softened. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over shanks. Serve any remaining sauce separately.

BRAISED LAMB WITH RED WINE AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Cut lamb into 2-inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brown in a large skillet over medium-high heat; remove.
• Add onion, garlic, prunes, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook until fragrant. Add wine, stock or water 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: Parsley.