Spiced Braised Lamb With Carrots And Spinach Recipes

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH RUTABAGA AND CARROTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat lamb shanks dry. In a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) large enough to fit 1 lamb shank heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown lamb shanks, 1 at a time, transferring as browned to a 9-quart heavy ovenproof kettle. Pour off fat from skillet and cook onions in remaining tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. To kettle add onion mixture, tomatoes with juice, water, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, allspice, orange peel, salt, and pepper to taste and bring liquid to a boil. Braise lamb, covered, in oven until just tender, about 1 3/4 hours.
• Stir in rutabaga and carrots and braise, covered, in oven until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Braised lamb shanks improve in flavor if made 1 day ahead. Cool mixture, uncovered, and chill, covered. Skim fat, discarding it, and reheat lamb, if chilled, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Transfer lamb and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a platter and boil braising liquid until reduced to about 4 cups.
• Remove meat from 2 lamb shanks and chop fine, reserving chopped meat and 1 cup braising liquid for making pastitsio .
• Return remaining 4 lamb shanks and vegetables to kettle and simmer, covered, until heated through.
• Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle lamb and vegetables with parsley and serve with rice.

SPICY LAMB BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and oil and warm until the butter is melted. Add the carrots, celery, onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft but have no color, about 6 minutes. Add the beef and lamb and cook, breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir the tomato paste, chili paste, red pepper flakes and garlic into the meat mixture. Cook the tomato paste, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk is almost entirely evaporated, about 20 minutes.
• Add the wine, bay leaf, Parmesan rind, tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low to just maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Skim the oil from the surface.
• Spoon the sauce over the Creamy Polenta with Spinach, reserving any extra to serve on the side. Serve with the Parmesan sprinkled over the top and a drizzle of olive oil.
• In a Dutch oven, bring the chicken broth, oil, garlic and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the polenta. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone, pecorino and butter. Cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Fold in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes longer. Add 1/4 cup water if the mixture gets too thick.
• Pour the polenta onto a large board or platter. Serve with grated Parmesan over the top.

BRAISED LAMB SHOULDER WITH THYME, CARROTS, AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Trim fat from lamb and discard. Cut each chop lengthwise along bones into 3 separate pieces, leaving bones attached to meat. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in large ovenproof pot over high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to pot and sauté until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to bowl. Add onions, 2 chopped carrots, halved head of garlic, and 6 thyme sprigs to pot and sauté until onions are brown, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir 2 minutes. Return lamb and any accumulated juices to pot. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to simmer. Cover pot tightly; transfer to oven and bake until lamb is very tender, adding up to 3/4 cup more water if juices evaporate, about 2 hours 15 minutes.
• Using tongs, transfer lamb to medium bowl; discard bones. Pour vegetable mixture from pot into strainer set over large bowl. Press on solids to extract as much vegetable pulp and pan juice as possible. Return strained pulp and juice to pot. Spoon off fat from surface. Return lamb to pot; bring mixture to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrots, 2 thyme sprigs, fennel, and bay leaf and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, stirring often, about 35 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with sautéed vegetables.