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Braised Lamb With Anchovy Sauce
(Abbacchio alla Cacciatora)
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| What You Need: |
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¼ cup olive oil
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut in 1½-inch chunks
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
2 flat anchovy fillets, drained, washed and dried
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 500°F. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil until a light haze forms over it. Add the lamb, 4 or 5 chunks at a time, and brown it over moderately high heat.
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2. As the chunks become richly colored on all sides, transfer them to a heavy-2½-to 3-quart flameproof casserole. Then pour off all but a thin film of fat from the skillet and set the pan aside.
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3. Season the lamb with garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, and sprinkle it with flour, tossing the meat with a wooden spoon to coat the chunks as evenly as possible with the seasonings and flour.
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4. Place the casserole in the upper third of the oven and brown the lamb uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, turning it 2 or 3 times.
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5. When no trace of gummy flour remains and the chunks of lamb are lightly crusted, remove the casserole from the oven and reduce the oven heat to 350°F.
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6. Pour the vinegar into the waiting skillet and boil it briskly over high heat for a minute or two, scraping in any browned bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan.
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7. Add the chicken stock to the vinegar, bring to a boil, and then pour the liquid over the lamb in the casserole. Cover the casserole and place it in the middle of the oven.
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8. Braise the lamb for about 1 hour, or until it is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. (If the braising sauce seems to be cooking away too fast, add a little more stock, a tablespoon at a time.)
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9. Just before serving, ladle 1 or 2 tablespoons of the sauce from the casserole into a small bowl and mix in the chopped anchovies. Stir the anchovy mixture into the casserole and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more. Serve the lamb directly from the casserole or in a deep, heated platter.
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