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Braised Shoulder of Lamb
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braised shoulder of lamb |
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1 shoulder of lamb, weighing 1.5 to 2kg (this should feed six people) 2 medium sized onions peeled, halved and roughly chopped 1 head of garlic simply cut in half Rosemary and thyme Extra virgin Olive oil, salt and pepper 350ml white wine Pre heat the oven to 80°C |
The meat can be studded if wished, as it will
be cooked at a lower temperature for much longer and we are not so worried about
keeping juices in the meat. More importantly, it is the gleatinisation or
the breaking down of the connective tissue that will give the meat its
tenderness. As lamb shoulder contains quite a bit of connective tissue, it requires a more prolonged cooking time at a higher temperature than a cut with a higher pure meat content such as leg. Fillet, as it has almost no connective tissue and is the leanest cut, will cook much quicker at the same temperature. |
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Season the meat and liberally cover in olive oil. Place in the roasting tray with the chopped vegetables and herbs. Lightly brown on top of the stove. You may want to add a little extra olive oil if necessary. Deglaze the tray by adding the white wine and scraping the pan with a wooden spoon if required. Bring to the boil; cover the roasting tray with tin foil and place in the preheated oven. After about 45 minutes, remove the tin foil and if necessary, add more water, so that you have about one centimetre of liquid in the bottom of the tray. Continue roasting for another five hours, again adding a little liquid if necessary and basting the meat occasionally. After this time, you will have the tenderest piece of meat imaginable. All you need to do now is to add 300ml of water to the roasting tray and gently reduce to a sauce consistency. You have some options when doing this. You can, for example adds some chopped black olive, a few salted anchovies, washed (no more than two), and some fresh herbs such as Basil at the end or even stir in a little grain mustard; it is up to you. When your reduction is just beginning to thicken, strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan and reduce until desired consistency. Carefully carve the meat into inch thick slices and serve. |
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| The recipe above is taken
from 'Family Foods' by Heston Blumenthal, this book is due to be
published on 28th November this year, so it will be ready for
Christmas, but you can already pre-order it at www.amazon.co.uk
Heston is the Chef at The Fat Duck which was named Restaurant of the Year 2001 by Michelin, visit the website at www.fatduck.co.uk The Fat Duck |
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