This dish was an assignment of the Cooking Italy group, founded by Angela of Spinach Tiger. We are working with Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. More detailed adaptations of the recipes are available from from other members of Cooking Italy, for the lamb and for the potatoes. Check the blog roll to see how others prepared this dish.
The first dish I made was Pan Roasted Lamb with Juniper Berries. I am not a huge fan of lamb, so was going to skip it, but my husband likes lamb and this recipe looked easy – so there you have it, lamb for dinner. First you take some lamb shoulder, on the bone, cut into 3″-4″ pieces. Put it in a heavy iron pot along with 1 tbs. each of chopped carrot and celery and 2 tbs. of chopped onion. Add a cup of dry white wine, 2 cloves of garlic, mashed, a sprig of fresh rosemary (or chopped dried), 1 1/2 tsps. of crushed juniper berries, salt and pepper.
Cook all this on medium heat for about 3 1/2 hours, turning the lamb about every half hour, letting the liquid evaporate the last hour or so. You will wind up with this:
Although the lamb started off stewing in a liquid broth and looking gray, it ended up beautifully browned. The juniper berries seem to have tamed that lamb taste that I don’t generally care for. The meat was falling-off-the-bone, no-knife-needed tender. I expanded my culinary horizons and as a result, my husband and I were both rewarded with a delicious meal.
The accompanying dish of Sliced Potatoes Baked with Porcini and Fresh Cultivated Mushrooms, Riviera Style was also easily prepared. Sliced potatoes (I used Yukon Golds), sliced white mushrooms, reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms, olive oil, chopped garlic and parsley, fresh pepper. Bake together until potatoes are done. Great fall dish, we both enjoyed this one also. If you are cooking on a budget, I think that if you omitted the pricey porcini, the dish would be a little different, but still fabulous.
Please bear with me as I try to catch up with jewelry, puppies and cooking!
