Braised Lamb with Yorkshire Pudding and Gremolata
This dish is part of the One BIG Recipe: Halibut Dinner
BRAISED LAMB WITH YORKSHIRE PUDDING AND GREMOLATA
Ingredients:
Braised Lamb:
- 2 8-10 ounce (227-283 g) lamb shanks
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) diced onion
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped garlic
- ½ cup (120 ml) diced sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ cup (120 ml) diced (pitted) kalamata olives
- 2 cups (470 ml) prepared chicken stock, low sodium
- 2 cups (470 ml) prepared veal demi-glace
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black peppercorns
Yorkshire Puddings:
- 2 cups (470 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (470 ml) whole milk
- 6 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) vegetable oil, divided
Gremolata:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) blanched, slivered almonds, toasted & chopped
- 1 orange, zest
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
Method:
For the Lamb:
Season lamb shanks with pepper.
Add olive oil to the pan and sear the lamb shanks, continue turning until evenly browned, about 5 minutes.
Remove the lamb shanks from the hot pan and set aside on a tray.
To the pan, add diced onion, chopped garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes, until translucent.
Add sun-dried tomatoes, pitted kalamata olives, prepared chicken stock and prepared veal demi-glace. Bring to boil.
Make a sachet: cut a 4 x 4-inch (10 x 10 cm) square of cheesecloth, 2 layers thick. Add bay leaves peppercorns to the center of the square, bring corners together across and tie like a hobo’s bindle.
Add the sachet to the Dutch oven.
Return the lamb shanks to the pan, cover and transfer to oven. Set a timer for 3 hours.
When ready, remove the lamb shanks from the oven, crack the lid and allow to cool slowly (30 minutes).
Remove the lamb shanks from the braising liquid to a cutting board.
Run a sharp knife down the bone to separate the meat, trim away any cartilage and roughly chop the meat. Transfer meat to a bowl to reserve. Discard the bones and cartilage.
Strain the braising liquid though a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Reserve solids.
Use a ladle to skim off the fat (discard). Add a couple of ice cubes to the top to congeal the last bits for easier skimming, if needed.
If the sauce is thin, wipe out the Dutch oven and return the sauce, place over high heat, bring to a boil and reduce to a thicker gravy-like consistency.
Pick the sundried tomatoes and olives from the solids. Chop them into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces and add them to bowl with the reserved lamb meat.
When the sauce is correct, reduce heat to very low, add in the meat-olive mixture, season with salt and pepper, cover and keep at a gentle simmer until ready to plate.
For the Yorkshire Puddings:
In the bowl of a blender, combine flour, milk, eggs, and salt.
Blend batter until smooth, scraping down the sides halfway through.
Strain the batter through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C). Place a 6-portion muffin tin in the hot oven to pre-heat.
After 20 minutes in the oven, remove muffin tin and add about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil, or enough to cover the base of each cup of the hot muffin tin to a depth of 1/8-inch (3 mm). Return the oiled tin to the oven.
After 10 minutes in the oven, remove the tin, the oil should be shimmering. Working quickly (and carefully to avoid splattering oil), add a level 2-ounce (60 ml) ladle of batter to each of the 6 cups of the tin, right into the hot oil.
Return the tin with the batter to the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until deeply golden-brown.
For the Gremolata:
Combine the chopped parsley and garlic in a small bowl.
Zest 1 lemon into the bowl (reserve fruit for juice), then zest 1 orange into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and lightly toss to combine.
Add olive oil and the juice from the lemon into the gremolata and stir to combine.
To Serve:
Arrange six small plates, place one of the puddings onto each plate.
Use a ladle (to catch drops) to transfer a generous scoop of the braised lamb (and sauce) onto the middle of each of the hot Yorkshire Puddings.