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Braised Shoulder Of Lamb With White Beans
(Epaule d'Agneau Braisee aux Haricots)
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| What You Need: |
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4 tablespoons butter
3 onions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, cut in 1-inch chunks
7-pound shoulder of lamb, boned and tied (about 5 pounds boned)
1 or 2 garlic cloves, cut in 1/8-inch lengthwise slivers
¼ cup vegetable oil
1½ cups dry white wine
2 cups beef stock, fresh or canned
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
Bouquet garni made of 4 parsley sprigs, 1 leek (white part plus 2 inches of green) and 1 bay leaf, tied together
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
2½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ quarts water
2 cups dry white beans (Great Northern, narrow, or navy)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a heavy flameproof casserole, just large enough to hold the lamb, and equipped with a cover, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat.
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2. When the foam subsides, cook the onions and carrots, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until they are lightly colored. Meanwhile, make small incisions in the lamb and insert a sliver of garlic in each one.
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3. Heat the oil almost to the smoking point in a heavy 12-to 14-inch skillet and brown the lamb on all sides. Transfer the browned lamb to the casserole and place it, fat side up, on top of the vegetables.
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4. Pour the wine into the skillet in which the lamb browned and boil it briskly, stirring and scraping in any bits that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan, until it has reduced to 1 cup.
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5. Add the beef stock, tomatoes, bouquetgarn;, thyme, ½ teaspoon of the salt and a few grindings of pepper, and return to a boil. Pour the stock over the lamb. Bring the casserole to a boil on top of the stove and drape a sheet of aluminum foil over the lamb.
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6. Cover the casserole tightly and cook in the lower third of the oven, regulating the heat so the lamb simmers slowly, for 3 hours or until the lamb is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
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7. While the lamb is braising, bring 1½ quarts of water to a bubbling boil in a heavy 4- to 6-quart saucepan or soup kettle. Drop the beans into the water and boil them briskly for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour.
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8. Return the pan to the heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the beans, adding more water if necessary, for 1 to 1½ hours, or until they are just tender. Drain the beans and set aside.
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9. When the lamb is done, transfer it to a plate and strain the rest of the contents of the casserole through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl; press down hard on the vegetables and herbs with the back of a spoon before discarding them.
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10. Skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the braising stock or sauce; taste and season it with salt and pepper if needed. Return the lamb and the beans to the casserole and pour the strained sauce over them. Heat the casserole on top of the stove until it comes to a simmer. To serve, carve the lamb into ¼-inch slices.
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11. Arrange the slices attractively on a heated platter, spoon a little stock over them and sprinkle them with parsley. Drain the beans and serve them from the same platter or a heated bowl; pass the remaining sauce separately in a sauceboat.
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