Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [54]
3. Once all the ribs are browned, discard any fat from the pot then pour in the lamb stock. Bring to a boil, deglazing the pot by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the tomatoes, onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and garlic. Add the beans and browned ribs, with 1 teaspoon salt. The liquid should almost cover the beans; add a little of the bean cooking water if necessary (reserve the remaining cooking water).
4. Cover, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 hours, or until the lamb and beans are tender. Check them after 1 hour, and stir the top layer of beans into the liquid. The liquid should be just below the level of the beans; if too much has evaporated, add a little more cooking water.
5. When the lamb and beans are cooked, remove the lid and tilt the pot slightly so that you can spoon off any surface fat. Gently stir in the shredded spinach, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the spinach wilts. Check the seasoning and serve.
Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb
Friends were invited for dinner and I wanted to spend time with them, not in the kitchen. Knowing that my friends would be late, I made this traditional French dish, which can happily spend an extra hour in the oven or sit, covered, for thirty minutes while you enjoy a predinner drink.
Despite the name, this lamb dish needs only about 5½ hours to cook. No carving is necessary—you can serve this dish with a spoon.
Just as my lamb was ready, one couple called to say they would be late. I left my lamb in the oven, turned it off, and enjoyed a drink.
1 leg of lamb, about 5 pounds (2.5 kg)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 onions, halved and sliced
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ½-inch (1-cm)-thick rounds
1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine
4 garlic cloves, peeled
About 2 cups (500 ml) Lamb Stock (page 95)
3 bay leaves
1 large rosemary sprig
1. One hour before cooking, remove the lamb from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Pat the lamb dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, melt half the butter with half the oil over medium heat. Add the lamb and brown on all sides. Transfer the lamb to a platter.
3. Discard any fat from the pot, and add the remaining butter and oil. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the carrots and cook until the onions begin to brown. Pour in the wine, add the garlic, and bring to a boil, deglazing the pot by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
4. Place the lamb meatiest side up atop the vegetables, then add enough stock so that the leg is two-thirds submerged. Add the bay leaves and rosemary, season with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Cover the lamb with a piece of damp parchment paper and then the lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2/2 hours.
5. Remove the lamb from the oven and baste it with the cooking juices. Lower the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C), and cook the lamb, uncovered, for 2½ to 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes. The lamb is cooked when the meat comes away from the bone; the meat will be a rich dark brown.
6. Discard the bay leaves and rosemary. Skim off the fat from the cooking liquid, but don’t try to remove the lamb from the pot, as it would fall to pieces. Serve the lamb directly from the pot, with the carrots and cooking juices.
Lamb Shoulder with Preserved Lemon and Dates (page 99)
Lamb Ribs with Beans and Spinach (page 113)
Lamb Shanks Cooked in Paper with Guinness (page 118)
Lamb Neck with Lettuce and Dill (page 120)
Poached Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables (page 142)
Crilled Quail with Sage Batter (page 148)
Chicken with Morel Cream Sauce (page 154)
Duck Legs with Cumin, Turnips,