Pyrenees Style Lamb Braised With Red Pepper Recipes

PYRENEES-STYLE LAMB BRAISED WITH RED PEPPER

Steps:

• Season the lamb shanks with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and the thyme, and set aside.
• Place the oil, onions and garlic in a large, heavy-based saucepan over low-medium heat and cook for 8 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add the capsicums and cook gently for 45 minutes or until very soft.
• Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the tomatoes break down and the mixture thickens.
• Add the wine and water, increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Stir in the paprika, then reduce heat and simmer for a further 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Place the lamb shanks in a single layer in a roasting pan or large baking dish and pour the red pepper sauce over the top. The sauce should just come to the top of the meat, so that the lamb browns as the sauce evaporates.
• Cook for 2 hours, turning occasionally, or until the shanks are very tender.

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.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH PEPPERS

Steps:

• Pat dry lamb shanks. In a heavy casserole or Dutch oven that will hold all the shanks, heat oil on medium-high. Add lamb shanks and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a platter. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Add bell peppers and onions to the pan. Sauté, stirring, until the vegetables wilt and just begin to color, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, dill seed, paprika and cinnamon. Stir. Add stock and wine. Bring to a simmer. Stir in tomato paste and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Return lamb shanks to the pot along with any juices on the platter. Cover them with a piece of parchment or waxed paper, cover pot with lid, reduce heat to very low and cook about 2 hours, basting the shanks occasionally and turning them at least once until the meat is very tender when pierced with a knife.
• Remove shanks from the pot. Increase heat to medium and reduce sauce by about a third, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Return shanks to the pot, baste and reheat. Serve directly from the casserole or transfer to a serving dish. Strew with fresh dill before serving.

LAMB AND RED PEPPER STEW

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large high-sided frying pan over medium heat. Add about three quarters of the onion and all of the garlic. Gently fry for about 5 minutes until soft.
• Meanwhile, lightly dust the lamb with flour. Heat a little more olive oil in another pan over high heat. Add the lamb chunks in batches and cook, turning, until evenly browned. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Using the pan in which you've just cooked the lamb, turn up the heat, add one third of the wine, stirring and scraping the meat residue from the bottom of the pan. Allow to reduce for a minute or two.
• Stir the lamb and the reduced wine into the onions. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
• Add the remaining wine to the lamb pan and allow the alcohol to evaporate. Then add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
• Cover the pan and gently braise the lamb over very low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes or so.
• When the lamb has been cooking for about an hour, heat a little more oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the peppers and the remaining onion. Cover and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes until soft.
• Check the lamb seasoning before serving.
• Place the peppers on individual serving plates and spoon the lamb on top. Finish with the cooking sauce and a touch of olive oil.