Warm Salad Of Spring Vegetables With Griddled Lamb Recipes

LAMB RAGOUT WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Season lamb chunks generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fennel seed and rub to distribute. Set aside for 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to several hours, or overnight).
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or similar heavy pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add lamb and brown on all sides, until meat is well caramelized, about 10 minutes. Work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan.
• Remove lamb, turn heat to medium and add onions (and a little oil if necessary) and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook for 1 minute, then stir in tomato paste. Sprinkle with flour and cook 2 minutes more. Add white wine and whisk well as mixture thickens. Whisk in broth and bring to a brisk simmer.
• Return meat to pot. Cover pot and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until meat is tender when probed. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Keep warm, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight before proceeding with vegetables (which should be prepared right before serving).
• Prepare the vegetables: Remove fava beans from pod. Blanch 2 minutes in boiling water, then cool in ice water. Peel and discard outer gray skin from each bean. You should have about 1 1/2 cups. Set aside. (If using frozen lima beans or edamame, cook the thawed beans for 3 to 4 minutes in salted boiling water.)
• Bring a medium pot of fresh water to a boil and salt well. Add fennel and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove with spider and rinse with cold water to refresh. In the same pot, cook carrots until tender, about 4 minutes, then remove and refresh. Cook turnips for 3 minutes, then remove and refresh.
• Just before serving, melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add cooked fennel, carrots and turnips. Add scallions and stir to distribute. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of water and cook until scallions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add fava beans and heat through. Stir in lemon zest and parsley.
• Transfer meat and sauce to a large serving dish. Spoon vegetables around meat and garnish with fennel fronds.

SLOW-ROASTED SPRING LAMB SHOULDER WITH SPRING ONION AND FAVA BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Make the lamb: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup oil with nutmeg, paprika, and fennel. Rub lamb all over with spice mixture and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large Dutch oven or roasting pan over high heat. Add lamb and cook, turning on all sides, until seared.
• Remove lamb from pan. Make small incisions in lamb, about 2 inches apart; alternate tucking spring onion slices or garlic cloves and rosemary into incisions. Place remaining spring onion slices or garlic cloves, onions, celery, and carrots in roasting pan and set lamb on vegetables. Add beef stock and thyme to pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover tightly with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Transfer to oven and cook 5 to 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees. Cook until lamb is tender and pulling away from the bone, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove from oven and let stand in pan for 2 hours.
• Remove lamb from pan and carefully remove bone, leaving as much meat in one piece as possible. Strain cooking liquid and set aside; discard solids.
• Make the salad: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and add enough water to cover; let stand until rehydrated, about 10 minutes. Drain, finely chop, and set aside.
• Heat canola oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until charred. Add honey and cook until onions are caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock and vinegar to deglaze. Transfer to oven and cook until just tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in another medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add fava beans and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and remove from heat. Add to bowl with onions; add mint and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lamb and reserved strained cooking liquid.