Braised Lamb

With Honey and Orange

A recipe for lamb - perhaps a favorable change for anyone serving lamb for Easter or any Spring celebration. I enjoy a roast leg of lamb, stuffed with a savory filling and served with an herbaceous sauce. I also enjoy a braised lamb dish. No need to worry how rare or well done the roast and the sauce is already in the pot. Another advantage is the whole thing can be done a day or two in advance, giving you one less thing to stress over on the day. Just heat and serve.

This recipe is different for its major component is dark honey. The robustness of the honey, I prefer buckwheat honey, lends itself to a good braise. The sweetness is balanced by the orange juice and vinegar. Not the sweet and sour taste you might find in some recipes but a good balance. I call for dark or buckwheat honey but, for anyone inspired by the springtime maple sap boils, a dark maple syrup could substitute. There would be a hint of maple in the flavor profile and would balance with the orange juice and vinegar as well.

I used lamb leg for this dish but lamb shoulder or the equivalent goat meat would work well.

BRAISED LAMB with HONEY and ORANGE
6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients:

• About 3 pounds of boneless lamb leg or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks

• 1 large onion, chopped

• ½ of a medium fennel bulb, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 12 ounces red wine

• ½ cup dark honey

• 1 cup orange juice

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon orange zest

• 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seed

• 1 teaspoon rosemary

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 bay leaves

• ½ teaspoon fine salt

Method:

• Season the lamb chunks lightly with salt and pepper

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the olive oil and butter

• When the butter begins to sizzle and turn color, brown the lamb in batches and remove from the pot

• Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the hot oil and add in the onion and fennel bulb

• Stir occasionally until the onion starts to take on some color

• Add the garlic, fennel seed, rosemary, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or two

• Add the red wine and orange juice, bring to a boil and reduce by half

• At this point, after the liquid has reduced, add honey and stir to incorporate

• Return the browned meat to the pot, stir to be sure that all of the meat has been coated with the sauce. Cover the pot and place in a 275F degree oven and cook undisturbed for 90 minutes

• Remove from the oven and check for doneness. If tender, but still holding its shape, then it should be done. If not, or you’re using lamb shoulder or goat, you may need to return the covered pot to the oven for another 30 minutes

• When the lamb is done to your liking, remove the bay leaves, toss in the orange zest and the vinegar. Give it a stir and serve

A good recipe for any occasion. If you want to save time on the day the guests arrive, this recipe may help. Any kind of potato dish, rice, risotto or noodles go well as a side. Some fresh vegetables like asparagus or sautéed spinach will round out the plate.

Enjoy!