So this year for the Christmas I am preparing something that is not a turkey or gammon effort, instead, Lamb is my key focus point for the festive table. 'Others' will be donning the table with traditional bird and pork offerings, but I so need a change, and I have found it in a wonderful leg of lamb.
Cooking a block of meat for 4-hours might seem a little excessive, but the results are nothing less than spectacular. This lamb is so tender you can literally pull it off the bone with 2 spoons ... hence it's name.
Serve it with some season or festive veg, you will not be disappointed ... I promise.
Slow Roasted Tuscan Spoon Lamb
Serves 4 - 6
1,2 kg leg of Lamb on the bone
Olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp cracked pepper
500 ml white wine (If its not good enough to drink, it's not good enough to cook with!)
1 cup water
2 whole heads of garlic, unpeeled, cup in half
15 stems fresh Thyme
15 stems fresh Rosemary
6 Anchovy fillets (optional)
Generously rub oil into the lamb on all sides. Add salt and pepper and lightly rub. Add oil in a pot with a tight fighting lid (Dutch Oven), brown lamb very well (almost burnt) on all sides. Remove meat and set aside.
Add wine, water and scrape grizzle off the bottom of the pot. Add garlic, herbs, anchovies and place the Lamb on top. Cover with lid and cook for 4-hours exactly at 150'C. Remove meat from pot and wrap in aluminium foil and stand for 15 min.
Strain liquid and squash garlic through a sieve. Reduce sauce to thicken ... or add a little flour or Mazina to help do so - pending how thick you like your sauce. Place meat on a plate with season vegetables and drizzle with sauce.
To serve, you only need 2 spoons on the table to pull the meat ever so gently off the bone family style.
Enjoy
~ Michelle ~
