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January 27, 2005
Lamb Smothered in Onion
Ingredients:
4 meaty 1 ¼ pound lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat
1 med. onion, coarsely grated, plus 4 pounds large onions, quartered lengthwise and thickly sliced crosswise
½ cup drained, seeded and chopped Italian canned tomatoes
2 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
One 2-inch long cinnamon stick
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
Scant ½ tsp saffron, crumbled
2 ¼ cups water
3 tbl plus ½ tsp sugar
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbl unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
Directions:
1. In a large, heavy casserole, combine the lamb shanks with the grated onion, tomatoes, olive oil, cinnamon stick, 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper, 1 tsp of the ginger and half the saffron. Cook over low heat until the shanks are sizzling, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is just barely falling off the bone, about 2 ½ hours. Cool the lamb shanks, then pull the meat off the bones and trim off any fat or gristle. Cut the meat into 1-inch chunks and transfer to a bowl. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid and discard the cinnamon stick. Boil the liquid until reduced to 1 cup, about 35 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the sliced onions with 3 tbl of the sugar, the cinnamon, and 1 tsp each of salt and pepper. Add the remaining ¼ cup of water, ½ tsp of ground ginger and the remaining saffron. Scatter three-fourths of the butter pieces over the top.
3. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, about 1 ½ hours. Uncover and cook over moderately high heat until all the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden, about 20 minutes longer. Transfer the onions to a large plate to cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the lamb chunks in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and pour the reduced cooking liquid on top; spread the browned onions over the meat, sprinkle the remaining ½ tsp of sugar and dot with the remaining butter. Bake the lamb for 35 - 40 minutes, or until sizzling and browned. Serve the smothered lamb hot or warm.
Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared ahead through step 3. Refrigerate the lamb and onions separately for up to 3 days. Serves 6.
Posted by Kelli Little at January 27, 2005 03:55 PM