BRAISE OF SPRING LAMB WITH SHERRY AND BABY CARROTS
I’m cautiously advocating that it’s lazy outdoor Sunday lunch weather again. Might be a little optimistic of me, but heigh-ho; I’m just grateful for warmer weather. Contrary to perception, there aren’t many ingredients to play around with in early spring. I see it more as an opportunity to rework and lighten winter dishes. I know
we’re all sick of anything slow cooked, with gravies, reductions and rich sauces, but a gentle braise, with a herby, steadying, but ultimately light broth, is just the ticket. Use sherry or madeira, otherwise, any kind of sweet wine will do.
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES COOK TIME: 3 HOURS SERVES: 4-6
• 1 leg of lamb, boned or partially boned
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 bulb of garlic, halved widthways
• 3 brown anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 3 shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
• Couple of bay leaves
• Small handful of flat-leafed parsley, stalks included
• A few sprigs of rosemary
• 1 lemon, halved
• Large handful of baby carrots, scrubbed
• 2 cups inexpensive sherry or sweet marsala wine
• Small handful of flat-leafed parsley leaves, roughly chopped
reheat the oven to 150 C on bake func on
1 Rub the lamb all over with a little oil, salt and pepper.
2 Put a large, lidded, flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over a moderately high heat. Add a few tbsp of oil, let it heat up, and then add the lamb. Brown on all sides, then remove from the pan and set aside for a minute.
3 Keep the pan on the heat. Add a little more oil, followed by the garlic, anchovies, shallots, herbs, lemon and carrots. Fry gently for several minutes, taking care not to let anything burn. By now, the anchovies should have melted down into the oil. Pour in the sherry and let it bubble up and reduce a bit.
4 Return the lamb to the pan and nestle it in comfortably. Season well, pop the lid on and put in the oven to cook gently away for at least three hours until beautifully tender. Remove the lid and brown the top a little under the grill, if necessary. Serve immediately, with a little extra flat-leafed parsley scattered over the top.