I waffled for a long time about whether or not to host a seder for my friends this year. But, in the end, I decided it would after all be an opportunity to eat lamb.
I have always enjoyed the lamb at Passover. I know that Mom has prepared it in a handful of different ways, but her preparation of lemon lamb was particularly memorable for me. I decided to prepare it this way for my guests, also. I love the fresh tang of the lemon against the gaminess of the meat, and the cinnamon, which is both fun and earthy, bridging the divide. My guests seemed to really like it, too.
Thanks to guest Ben for trimming the meat. I was intimidated by the directive that the lamb be "well-trimmed." Fortunately, Ben wants to be a surgeon, and he did a brilliant job with the leg of lamb. I expanded the recipe by 150%, so that was a lot of lamb.
Lemon Lamb
4 lbs well-trimmed lamb cut into 3 inch lengths
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 t salt
3/4 t pepper
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks, each 3 inches long
1 c water
Cover the lamb with the water in a large pan and bring to a vigorous boil for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water. This first boiling will remove excess fat.
Put the oil in the pan, add the lamb, and stir-fry over moderate heat for 5 minutes.
Add the salt, pepper, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, and water. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until the lamb is tender and the liquid is reduced to a thick, lemon flavored sauce.
Serves 8.
1 comment:
This year I used part lime juice and added some chili powder, not a lot, just enough to add some complexity to the flavor. No one commented on the slightly different flavor profile, but they did say that it was the best lemon lamb I had ever made.
Post a Comment