Spiced Lamb With Crunchy Jewel Relish Recipes

SPICED LAMB SHANKS WITH BLOOD ORANGE RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat a large Dutch oven (preferably oval) or soup pot with a lid, over high heat. Add half the olive oil and heat. Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Add 2 of the lamb shanks to the hot oil and brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer shanks to a plate. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and shanks. Add the garlic, celery, carrots and onions and to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to strip the zest (just the orange skin, not the white pith underneath) from the orange in large pieces. Halve and juice the orange and set aside.
• Add the red wine to the vegetables and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits that cling to the pot. Stir in the orange zest, currants, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the wine is syrupy, about 5 minutes.
• Cut a square of cheesecloth and place the parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, juniper berries, peppercorns and star anise in the center. Tie into a bundle with kitchen twine. Add the spice bundle, chicken broth, orange juice and the shanks, along with any collected juices, to the pot, bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning the shanks occasionally, until the meat is just falling off the bone.
• Transfer the shanks to a plate. Scoop the vegetables from the liquid using a slotted spoon and set aside. Boil the cooking liquid over high heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, and season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Return the shanks to the sauce and warm over medium heat, turning to coat evenly.
• To serve, mound some of the polenta in the centers of 4 heated dinner plates. Top with a shank, and spoon some sauce and vegetables over and around the meat. Spoon a bit of Blood Orange Relish over each shank and serve immediately.
• Cut both ends from the oranges. Stand them on a flat end and cut away all of the peel and white pith. Quarter them top to bottom. Lay the wedges on their sides and slice them thinly crosswise. Slice the fennel crosswise into very thin slices.
• Gently toss the oranges, fennel, apple, parsley, fennel seeds and vinegar together in a small bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. (This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.)
• Bring the milk, chicken broth and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in the polenta in a slow stream and cook, whisking constantly, until the polenta thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. When large bubbles begin to surface, remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and pepper. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary.

SKEWERED LAMB WITH SPICY POMEGRANATE-RIOJA RED WINE VINAIGRETTE AND MINT-ALMOND RELISH

Steps:

• For the skewered lamb: Combine the oil, garlic, parsley, rosemary and thyme in a bowl. Add the lamb, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer the refrigeration time, the better.
• For the spicy pomegranate-rioja red wine vinaigrette: Combine the pomegranate juice, wine, peppercorns, thyme and 1 tablespoon honey in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until the syrup is reduced to 1 cup. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool. Remove the thyme and peppercorns with a spoon.
• Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon honey, mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the red wine syrup. Cover and refrigerate the remaining syrup to keep up to 1 month. Yield: about 1 cup.
• Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
• Preheat a charcoal grill for direct grilling. Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides. Thread 2 or 3 pieces of the lamb onto each skewer, so the lamb lays flat. Grill the lamb until golden brown and charred on both sides and cooked to medium doneness, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer the lamb to a sheet pan. Drizzle the lamb with some Spicy Pomegranate-Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette and let sit for 5 minutes.
• For the mint-almond relish: Mix the almonds and mint and sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving.
• Drizzle the remaining Spicy Pomegranate-Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette over the lamb and sprinkle with the mint-almond relish.