Wolfgang Puck's Braised Moroccan Lamb

Recipe Ingredients

1		Bone-in leg of lamb - (3 to 4 lbs)
2 teaspoons	10ml	Ground cumin
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Chopped fresh thyme
		Salt - to taste
4 tablespoons	60ml	Olive oil
1/2 lb	227g / 8oz	Onion - (1 large) - coarsely chopped
1 lb	454g / 16oz	Carrot - peeled, and (large)
		Coarsely chopped
1		Celery stalk - coarsely chopped
2		Garlic cloves - sliced
1 teaspoon	5ml	Chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup	237ml	Dry red wine
2 cups	474ml	Brown chicken, brown veal or lamb stock
6 oz	170g	Tomatoes - ends removed,
		And coarsely chopped
5 1/2 oz	156g	Blanched whole almonds - lightly toasted,
		See * Note
8 oz	227g	California raisins

Recipe Instructions

* Note: To toast almonds, spread on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Lay the lamb out, skin-side down, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each cumin and pepper and thyme. Roll and tie well with butcher's string. Season the outside lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in an ovenproof casserole slightly larger than the lamb. Brown the lamb on all sides, then pour out the oil.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil to the casserole, stir in the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and, over medium-high heat, cook until the onion has colored slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin and the rosemary, deglaze the pan with the red wine, and bring to a boil. Pour in the stock, add the tomatoes, season with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise until almost tender, about 1 hour.

Remove the meat and keep warm. With a slotted spoon, separate the vegetable from the sauce and puree in a blender. Scrape back into the sauce and reduce just until the sauce thickens slightly. Strain into a clean casserole and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the meat in the sauce, surround with the almonds and raisins, and return to the oven for about 15 minutes longer, until the lamb is very tender and the raisins are soft. (If the sauce thickens too much, thin with a little stock).

Presentation: Cut the lamb into thin slices and arrange on heated plates. Spoon some sauce over, placing the raisins on and around the meat. Serve immediately. Pass any remaining sauce in a small bowl.

To prepare ahead: In step 5, strain the sauce into a clean casserole. At serving time, return the meat to the pan along with the raisins and continue with the recipe.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Source:
http://www.calraisins.org/Consumer/recipes.html

Rating

Average rating:

Unrated, please add a rating

Submit your rating:

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10

Click a star to rate this recipe.