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I continue my journey through MASTERCLASS and different ethnicities of food. My Middle Eastern Braised Roast Lamb was my big entertaining dinner.
Jump to RecipeI invited two of my closest friends over for dinner. Challenge they are both in the restaurant business. Howard, has owned many successful restaurants over the years (for those of you in Chicago) from Red Light, to Vivo, Marche, Opera & Gioco , and today, BAR ROMA. My other friend was married to Arnie Morton’s daughter – the original Morton’s Steakhouse, and today, THE BARN STEAKHOUSE & FOUNDKITCHEN.
Now, my ego may have been motivated by my friends sophistication, but truly my desire to create a good meal was knowing how much they would appreciate it (if it turned out well). I have posted one of the recipes thus far, and that was my dessert – HONEY LABNEH WITH BERRIES. The whole meal was using Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes. I did not know much about him until I viewed him on Masterclass. I really learned a lot and gained appreciation for his love of food and recipes.
My braised lamb had a few steps but I would not say it was difficult to make. The lamb shoulder or leg is seared to begin with. Then, the veggies are braised in the same Dutch oven. The lamb is added back with spices and stock. Then, you put it in the oven and go do something else and comeback to enjoy when done cooking. The lamb was served over saffron rice and topped with an herb dukkah, a dash of oil and a dash of pomegranate molasses.
The base of the braised lamb.
The Middle Eastern Braised Roast Lamb plated.
Middle Eastern Braised Roast Lamb
Building on my Masterclass with the Middle Eastern Braised Roast Lamb that is delicious and wonderful for entertaining.
Ingredients
- 1 6 – 8 LB Leg of lamb
- 1 6 – 8 Lb Lamb shoulder
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Fresh ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp Canola oil
- 6 cloves Garlic rough chop
- 2 Inches Fresh ginger rough chop
- 3 Whole Roma or plum tomatoes rough chop
- 1 Whole White onion rough chop
- 2 Whole Jalapenos rough chop
- 1/2 Bunch Cilantro rough chop, divided
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 1/2 Tsp Ground allspice
- 3/4 Cup Plain fat free Greek yogurt
- 1/4 Bunch Parsley rough chop, divided
- 4 1/2 Cups Water or stock
Dukkah Garnish
- 1/4 Cup Golden Raisins
- 2 1/2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Unsalted butter
- 1/2 Cup Pine nuts
- 1 Tsp Salt
Instructions
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Prepare the dukkah by soaking the raisins for 30 – 45 minutes and set aside. In the final 30 minutes of cooking the lamb, melt the butter In a sauce pan, and add the pine nuts. Cook until just brown. Turn off the heat and finish by adding in the remainging ingredients. Right before serving, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Begin the lamb preparation by taking all the veggies and pulse in a cuisinart. You are only looking for a rough chop. Set aside.
The next step is to sear the lamb. Heat a Dutch oven on medium high heat. When good and hot add just a little oil. Wait for the oil to steam, then add the lamb and sear on all sides (I had so much lamb it did not fit in this one pot). Once there is a good sear on the lamb, remove from the Dutch oven and set on a plate.
Add the oil followed by the veggies. Coat them well in the oil an lamb fat. Be sure to scrape up anything stuck on the bottom of the pan. After softened, some 4 or 5 minutes, return the lamb to the Dutch oven. Now add the spices and cook for another minute or two.
Cook the lamb for 3 hours in a 350 degree oven with the top on. At this point, take the top off and cook for another 30 minutes to get some browning on the top of the lamb. Now, take the lamb out of the Dutch oven with two-thirds of the liquid in a large bowl. Use two forks to roughly shred the meat into large pieces. Check for any bones that might have broken off. Next, whisk the yogurt, parsley, and extra cilantro into the remaining sauce still in the pan. Cook for a few minutes to heat through. You can cook a little longer if you wish to thicken the sauce. Pour into a gravy bowl for serving.
To serve, cover a serving platter with saffron rice. Add a layer of the shredded lamb. Now repeart these two steps. To complete for serving garnish with your dukkah mixture. Serve the yogurt gravy on the side. Enjoy!
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