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April
2004 Recipe
Braised Leg of Lamb
with Juniper
Braised Leg of
Lamb with Juniper – or Gigot
d’Agneau des Garrigues
– comes from the south-sloping mountains of Languedoc, to the west
of Provence, carpeted with the wild herbs that flourish in the
Mediterranean sun. Thyme, bay and juniper are among the most
aromatic, here bolstered by a shot of gin (juniper berries provide
the lead flavor in gin). To intensify the flavor, I like to spike
the lamb with garlic and juniper berries up to 24 hours ahead, and
then braise it slowly in the style of the famous French recipe for
seven-hour leg of lamb. It becomes deliciously moist and tender,
almost falling from the bone.
Serves 6-8
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1 leg of lamb on the bone (about 5
lb)
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4 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
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1 tablespoon juniper berries,
crushed
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salt and pepper
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3 tablespoons olive oil
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3 onions, sliced
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˝ cup gin
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2 ˝ cups chicken stock, more if
needed
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bunch of fresh thyme
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2-3 bay leaves
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1 lb wild or cultivated mushrooms,
or 2 oz. dried wild mushrooms
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1 red pepper, seeded and cut into
strips
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chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
1. Trim the skin and all but a thin
layer of fat from the lamb. With the point of a knife, make 8-10
incisions in the meaty part of the lamb and insert some of the
garlic and a few crushed juniper berries in each. Cover with
plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours so the flavors permeate the
meat. Reserve the remaining garlic and juniper berries.
2. Preheat the
over to 350°F.
Unwrap the lamb and season it with salt and pepper. Heat the oil
in a roasting pan or casserole, then brown the lamb on all sides
over medium heat until well browned, 7-10 minutes. Take it out,
add the onions and brown them also, taking 5-7 minutes and
stirring often so they don’t scorch. Replace the lamb in the pan,
and add the gin, stock, and reserved garlic and juniper berries.
Tie the thyme and bay leaves in two or three bundles and add to
the casserole. Bring to the boil and cover tightly with a lid or
foil.
3. Braise the lamb in the oven,
turning it once or twice, until the meat is very tender when
pierced with a fork. This will take 2-2 ˝ hours, or up to an hour
longer if you like the meat almost falling off the bone. The meat
should always be half-covered in liquid, so add more stock during
cooking if needed.
4. Meanwhile, wipe the fresh
mushrooms, trimming the stems; wash them only if they are dirty.
Slice them, or cut them in medium chunks. If using dried
mushrooms, cover them with warm water and leave them to soak.
5. Half an hour before the lamb is
done, stir the mushrooms and bell pepper into the cooking juices.
If using dried mushrooms, lift them out of the water with a
draining spoon, leaving any grit behind; add them to the pan.
6. When done, transfer the lamb to a
serving dish. Remove the mushrooms, pepper and onions with a
draining spoon and pile around the lamb; cover and keep warm.
Strain the cooking juices into a pan and skim any fat from the
surface. Bring this gravy to the boil and, if thin, boil until
reduced. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon a little gravy over
the meat and scatter parsley over the vegetables. Serve the
remaining gravy separately.
Shortcut: Don’t bother to
marinate the meat in advance with garlic and juniper, but braise
it straight away.
Getting Ahead:
Braised lamb reheats superbly, taking on extra depth of flavor as
it sits, up to three days in the refrigerator. To reheat it, wrap
the lamb leg in foil and heat it in a 400°F
oven until very hot, 20-30 minutes. Reheat the vegetables and
gravy separately on top of the stove.
On the side: One of the half
dozen ideas from ‘Potatoes for All’ (page 69), plus Roasted
Butternut Squash.
In the Glass: Languedoc makes
some excellent, inexpensive red wines, or you could move over the
border for Spanish Rioja.
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