When I was growing up there was an urban myth going around, that the Irish put soiled socks in their stews for flavour – now keep in mind that I grew up in Australia so it may have been one of those crazy Australian rumours created by beer swilling men in a pub- but either way, this Irish Stew is a far cry from the dish I envisaged in my youth.
If you can envisage a slow cooked leg of lamb (and we are talking 12 hours of slow cooking), then I think you can imagine how tender the meat would be. Gently flavoured with sprigs of thyme and rosemary, this lamb is truly sensational. It is accompanied by a salsa verde, which works it’s magic with the lamb, bringing out even more of its flavour, and a handful of vegetables cooked in a variety of ways.
I do realise that being St Patrick’s Day already, you will not have time to prepare this for your dinner, but consider it a dish for next weekend – your Spring lamb perhaps. And there is nothing better than a Saturday lamb roast – especially one so perfectly cooked and flavoured – no old socks required!!
Ingredients
120 ml olive oil
1.5 kg piece of lamb shoulder, bone in
1 litre (4 cups) brown chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 each carrot, celery stalk and onion, coarsely chopped
1 each fresh bay leaf and rosemary sprig
1 thyme sprig, plus 1 tsp extra thyme leaves
130 gm softened butter
3 small Japanese eggplant, halved lengthways, flesh scored
1 garlic clove, crushed
600 gm kipfler potatoes, scrubbed, coarsely chopped
18 baby carrots, trimmed
12 each finger fennel, halved (see note), and baby turnips, trimmed
2 tbsp coarsely chopped mint
Salsa Verde
1 cup (loosely packed) each mint, basil and flat-leaf parsley
80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil, or to taste
60 ml (¼ cup) red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 white anchovies
1 tbsp small salted capers, rinsed
Preheat oven to 90c/180f. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add lamb and turn occasionally until browned (8-10 minutes). Transfer to a deep roasting tray large enough to fit lamb snugly, add stock, salt, chopped carrot, celery, onion and whole herbs, cover with baking paper and foil and cook until lamb falls from the bone (12 hours). Carefully remove bone, then baste lamb with pan juices and 50gm butter to glaze. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, scatter eggplant with 2 tsp salt and stand until bitter juices drain (15-20 minutes), then wipe off moisture with absorbent paper. Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over high heat, add eggplant, cut-side down, and cook until golden (1-2 minutes), then add 30gm butter and garlic and cook until foamy (1 minute). Turn eggplant, remove from heat and set aside for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, for salsa verde, blend ingredients in a blender until smooth, season to taste.
Meanwhile, cook potato in simmering salted water until tender (20-30 minutes). Blanch baby carrot, fennel and turnip in a separate saucepan until just tender (4-5 minutes). Mix potato with half the remaining butter and chopped mint in a serving dish, keep warm. Combine baby vegetables and eggplant, remaining butter and thyme leaves in a separate serving dish, season to taste, keep warm.
Serve lamb hot with pan sauces, potato, baby vegetables and salsa verde.
Source: Colin Fassinidge, The Four in Hand
© 2012, Michelle. All rights reserved.
