My dad, Logan and I all love lamb and typically reserve it for bachelor dad dinners. Since we were all three together for the holidays, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up to share this common bond. For the non-lamb eaters in the family, there was leftover prime rib from Christmas dinner the day before – not a bad deal as leftovers go. I went with the iPhone camera for this post because there just aren’t that many clear spaces on the counter during the holidays.
So let’s jump in for Braise #1 in this project that has just turned into a 13-month project… Beginning with the end in mind, here is the aerial shot of the plated meal:
Braised lamb with a bonus end piece on top (I do love the end pieces with the seasoning crust), hassleback potato and green beans amandine.
We joined Costco this year to get a good deal on a pre-lit Christmas tree and picked up a 5-pound boneless leg of lamb for this meal.
The roast came all nice and neat in a net, but this one got seasoned inside and out. I cut the net off, rolled out the roast, and cut through the thicker section to get it all relatively flat.
For the inside, I made a rub of shallots, garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary with olive oil.
My trussing skills aren’t quite as neat and tidy as the netting, but I eventually got everything bundled up.
I seasoned the outside with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
I seared the roast in the cast iron dutch oven in duck fat. It seemed appropriate for the holidays – not quite a Christmas goose, but the thought was there.
The braise used shallots, celery, carrots, wine and water seasoned with a little leftover ragú instead of tomato paste and a bay leaf for good measure. Oh, and a secret ingredient for an extra smooth sauce.
The veggies all cleaned up for the party
Sautéed with the ragú
The bay leaf floating on wine and water
The lamb and secret ingredient went in next with parchment paper under the lid to help hold in the moisture.
The braise went into the oven at 325° for 2 1/2 hrs. I turned the lamb over twice during the braise as a lazy basting. Next up, I prepped the potatoes.
I found this idea on the internet – Hasselback Potatoes. No, they aren’t some Pinterest idea from Matt’s wife on The View (that show is blocked on my satellite). They are from Sweden’s Restaurant Hasselbacken by way of The Kitchn. I found another suggestion on the web somewhere to use chopsticks to help with the cutting and went with that technique. They are described as a mix of french fries and mashed potatoes. How could that be bad?!
So here we go… Yukon Gold potatoes, chopsticks and my knife.
I cheated a bit since this was my first time and sliced the bottoms so the potatoes would sit flat and be easier to cut.
The chopsticks worked quite well as a depth stop.
In keeping with the Christmas theme, I brushed the potatoes with duck fat but these would be just as good with butter or bacon grease.
I brushed with duck fat again after 30 minutes in the oven and seasoned with Aromat to keep the European theme going. While the potatoes were in for the second half of the hour, I reduced the strained pan juices for sauce and made the green beans amandine to round out the meal. The ladies even tasted the lamb and didn’t hate it!
The sauce was decadent and delicious and made the meal to be sure. The lamb without the sauce was a bit dry which was surprising. It was a very lean piece though so perhaps I’ll lay some bacon over the next one. The sauce more than remedied the situation and made the potatoes even better. Speaking of the potatoes – crispy edges and a creamy center. A mix of french fries and mashed potatoes was a fair description and these will definitely become standard fare in my kitchen going forward.
Well, that wraps up braise #1 of the 2016 Braise-a-Month project. The next one will be shot with the Canon. The meat is still TBD… hmmmm….
Have a safe and happy new year!