Roman Lamb Recipes

ROMAN LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a lidded kettle or a heavy pot just large enough to hold the lamb in 2 layers. In batches, brown lamb well on all sides. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
• Add garlic and vinegar. Boil vinegar to reduce by half. Add sage, rosemary, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Leave lid ajar and braise over low flame for 1 hour, turning lamb occasionally. If liquid evaporates, add water sparingly. Cook until lamb is tender, testing it with a fork. The lamb is ready when it begins to fall from the bone.

ROMAN LAMB STEW (ABBACCHIO ALLA CACCIATORA)

Steps:

• Peel the garlic and cut one clove in half and set aside. Roughly chop the other clove.
• Remove the leaves from the stem of rosemary and finely chop them. Add the garlic and anchovies to the rosemary and chop them all together until they form a coarse paste. Use the side of your knife to mash the garlic and anchovies a little towards the end, adding a little salt if needed to help them mash.
• Place the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add the vinegar. Mix all together so the paste breaks up in the liquid. Set aside.
• Warm the oil in a medium-large Dutch oven or similar pan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the two halves of garlic clove and brown on both sides then remove from the pan.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the lamb. It can be good to start by adding some, then wait a minute before adding the rest to save the temperature reducing too much. Season the meat with salt and pepper then turn the meat to brown it all over.
• Once the meat has browned, sprinkle over the flour and stir to mix through. Try to avoid having any lumps of flour left.
• Add the wine to the pan and stir to deglaze any browning from the bottom of the pan. Allow most of the alcohol to evaporate then add the rosemary-vinegar mixture.
• Stir through the vinegar mixture then reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat further if needed to have the mixture just gently simmering. Cook for around 1 - 1 1/2 hours until the meat is very tender. If needed, top up the liquid a little with some water or stock so it doesn't become dry, but you don't want a very liquid mixture either. Serve the meat with the sauce that has formed.

PAOLA DI MAURO'S ROMAN LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Rinse the lamb chunks under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels.
• In a casserole or roasting pan large enough to hold all pieces of lamb, heat olive oil over medium-high to high heat. When oil is almost smoking, add lamb chunks and brown quickly, turning frequently, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Coarsely chop 2 of the garlic cloves; add to lamb as it browns. When all the lamb is browned, add salt and abundant pepper. Sprinkle flour over lamb pieces, and turn them to mix in seasoning and salt. Add wine; as soon as it starts to bubble, cover pan and place in oven to roast, covered, for 30 minutes.
• While lamb is roasting, coarsely chop remaining garlic, and using a mortar and pestle, pound it with chopped rosemary into a coarse paste. Add chopped anchovies, and continue pounding to make a fairly smooth paste. A tablespoon at a time, mix in wine vinegar to make a smooth emulsion.
• When lamb has roasted for 30 minutes, remove from oven, and pour vinegar emulsion over lamb pieces. Turn them to coat well with sauce. Return to oven, uncovered, to roast an additional 30 minutes.
• When lamb is done, with no trace of red in the meat, remove from oven, set aside for 5 minutes, then put lamb on a heated serving platter. Bring pan juices to a boil and cook rapidly for about 45 seconds, or just long enough to reduce juices and thicken them slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour juices over lamb chunks; serve immediately.

SLOW COOKED CROCK POT ROMAN LAMB

Steps:

• Bone and dice the legs of lamb into apple size chunks.
• Drain & chop the lamb's kidneys if using into small dice.
• Heat up small quantities of olive oil and butter together & brown the lamb pieces over a very high heat until nutty brown and completely sealed. DO NOT overcrowd the pan - take your time!
• Place the lamb into a crock pot as you brown them.
• If using the kidneys, brown them quickly over a high heat too & add to the lamb.
• In a food mixer, mix together the following: anchovies, rosemary leaves - not the branches, the peeled cloves garlic, salt & pepper, balsamic & red wine vinegars & cup of water. Blitz until thoroughly blended & smooth.
• Add the food mixer blend to the lamb & kidneys in the crockpot. Stir well.
• Don't worry if the mixture looks too thick - we still have all the lamb juices to cook into it all!
• Cook on automatic for up to maximum time - 8-12 hours OR on high for 4 hours & then low for up to 6 hours. The meat will be meltingly tender & have made a thinner sauce/gravy.
• This can be kept warm for up to 2 hours too - and it freezes beautifully!
• Serve with fresh rosemary garnish and with simple fresh vegetables such as greens & steamed or mashed potatoes.
• Can also be eaten Summer style with fresh crusty bread or pasta and salad.

QUICK LAMB RAGù

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and have totally softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a pinch of red-pepper flakes and anchovies, if using, and cook for a minute or two, just to toast the spices and melt the anchovies.
• Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so it has a chance to stick to the bottom of the pot and caramelize a bit, 2 or 3 minutes.
• Add lamb and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir lamb until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring rather frequently until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl around to get all the remaining tomato, then add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and insanely flavorful, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve sauce mixed into and over pasta with plenty of cheese for grating over the top, scattered with a small handful of marjoram, oregano or thyme leaves if you like.