Seven Hour Spoon Lamb Recipes

Steps:

• Place beans in a bowl, cover with water to a depth of 2 inches and set aside to soak at least 4 hours. Place mushrooms in a bowl, cover with warm water and set aside to soak at least 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a heavy 7- to 8-quart casserole. Add the lamb, and brown it on all sides. Remove it from the casserole, and remove the string.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Add onion and garlic to the casserole and cook over medium heat until soft and starting to brown. Blend the tomato paste and flour together, and add them to casserole. Cook, stirring, a few minutes, then stir in the wine. Add the remaining ingredients. Drain the beans and mushrooms, and add them. Bring to a simmer.
• Return lamb to casserole, cover and place in oven. Cook for 7 hours.
• Serve directly from the casserole, or transfer to a serving dish and serve with tablespoons. The lamb is so soft it can be pulled apart with a spoon. If desired, serve with mashed potatoes or couscous.

Steps:

• TRADITIONAL OVEN METHOD.
• Preheat the oven to 120 degrees C or 248 F, gas mark 1/2. Season the leg of lamb with salt and pepper to taste.
• Put the casserole or roasting tin on the hob and brown the lamb thoroughly on all sides (it is important to do this now as the meat will not brown in the oven). If the lamb sticks add a little oil to the casserole. Use the cooker extractor fan to disperse any smoke. Drain away any fat that has gathered in the bottom of the pan.
• Add the vegetables to the casserole along with the white wine and stock. Season and bring to the boil.
• Put on the lid or cover tightly with tin foil and place in the pre heated oven. Bake for 7 hours, turning twice during this time. The meat will be cooked after 5 hours and offer no resistance to the knife.
• The meat requires no resting time when cooked in this way. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Strain the meat juices into a jug and pour or blot away the fat with kitchen paper. Pour the juices into a pan and boil vigorously until reduced by a quarter.
• Adjust the seasoning and add the Armagnac or Madeira. Garnish the lamb with the sprigs of thyme and serve with the sauce. Use a spoon to carve and serve the lamb - a la cuillere as the French call it. It will be tender, succulent and delicious !
• CROCK-POT COOKING METHOD.
• Carry out steps 3 and 4 as shown above; then place into the crock-pot and cook on high for 2 hours and then on low for about 6 hours, or until the lamb is cooked as instructed above - soft and spoonable!
• Serve as before.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/fan 100C/gas ½. Put your largest lidded casserole on the hob and brown the seasoned leg of lamb on all sides - do this very thoroughly until it is a good dark brown as it will not brown during the cooking. (If you don't do it now, it will end up beige.) If the lamb sticks, add a drizzle of oil - legs of lamb differ. Allow 10 mins on a high heat and put on the cooker fan to remove the smoke. Pour away any fat that has collected in the bottom of the pan.
• Throw in the vegetables, followed by the wine and stock. Season and bring to the boil, then clap on the lid and put in the oven. Bake for 7 hrs, turning twice. After 5 hrs the meat will be cooked and offer no resistance to the knife.
• There is no need to rest the meat when cooked in this way, but to finish the sauce, transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving dish. Strain the sauce into a jug and pour or blot away the fat with kitchen paper. Pour the sauce into a pan then boil the liquid hard to reduce by a quarter, by which time it will be rich and flavoursome. Adjust seasoning, add the Armagnac if you wish, and serve alongside the lamb, which should be served with a spoon, a la cuillère as the French call it.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 lamb chops and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes a side. Remove chops to a roasting pan big enough to hold all the lamb; they can be fitted in snugly.
• Pour off any fat from skillet and deglaze with 1/4 cup red wine, scraping up browned bits. Pour over chops in roasting pan. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels and repeat with remaining 3 chops.
• Sprinkle cumin over lamb in roasting pan. Add garlic, carrot, onion, remaining 2 cups wine and enough water to reach halfway up chops. Cover with two sheets of aluminum foil and seal tightly. Braise in oven 2 1/2 hours, until falling off bone.
• Remove lamb from pan and strain juices into a bowl. Reserve carrots and discard remaining solids. Refrigerate braising liquid until fat rises to surface and can be skimmed off and discarded, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Lamb and carrots can be refrigerated separately.)
• In a skillet big enough to hold lamb, simmer liquid until reduced by about half and thickened but not syrupy. Stir in pomegranate molasses and butter and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze in one lemon half. Taste and add more lemon and salt, if necessary. Reheat lamb and carrots in sauce over low heat, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with mint, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Pierce the skin of the lamb and insert the cloves of garlic, distributing evenly throughout. Season with salt and pepper.
• Layer the onions, carrots, bay leaves and thyme on the bottom of a large Dutch oven or covered roaster large enough to hold the lamb. Place the lamb on top and roast in the oven, uncovered, for one hour.
• Remove the pan from the oven and slowly add the wine. Cover, place over high heat on top of the stove and bring the liquid to a boil. Return the pan, covered, to the oven, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast the lamb, turning from time to time, until it is very tender and actually falling off the bone. This should generally take two to three hours more.
• One hour before serving, bury the potatoes and tomatoes in the liquid, cover and roast until cooked through. The lamb should be very moist. As the French say, you should be able to eat it with a spoon. Much of the liquid will have cooked away, but what remains will be sweet and flavorful.
• Carefully remove the lamb from the pan, cut the meat into thin slices and serve, surrounded with vegetables and the remaining cooking liquid.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 F/ 150°C.
• Make small incisions in the lamb and put a sliver of garlic inside each incision.
• Rub the lamb well with the olive oil and season all over with the salt and pepper.
• Place it in a Dutch oven and add the sliced onions, whole carrots, whole garlic cloves, bouquet garni and wine.
• Put the lid on the Dutch oven.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour and water to form a rough dough, mixing well with a wooden spoon. (Don't worry you don't have to eat it).
• Use the dough like grout to create a seal that connects the lid to the Dutch oven.
• Place in the oven and cook for 7 hours.
• Remove from the oven and break the seal.
• Serve.