Moroccan-Spiced Leg of Lamb en Cocotte with Olives
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 27, 2009
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We prefer the shank end of the boneless leg of lamb here (rather than the sirloin end). There are two methods butchers use to remove the bone from the meat, referred to as corkscrewed and butterflied; we find the corkscrewed type much easier to work with but a butterflied leg of lamb will also work.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 250 degrees. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the lamb well on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch. Transfer the lamb to a large plate.
- Pour off all of the fat from the pot. Add the garlic, olives, lemon zest, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, and cumin seeds and nestle the lamb, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Place a large sheet of foil over the and press to seal, then cover tightly with the lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the very center of the lamb registers 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare), 45 to 60 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick from the jus in the pot, then cover to keep the jus warm.
- Remove the twine, slice the lamb into 1/4-inch-thick slices against the grain, and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the jus over the lamb and serve.
Yield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
For our lamb en cocotte recipe we selected readily available lamb shanks that had been butchered in corkscrew fashion. We trimmed much of the fat off the lamb in order to eliminate any gamy flavor and then tied the lamb roast to ensure even cooking. With our leg of lamb trimmed, tied, and ready to go, the recipe was simply a matter of following the en cocotte method: We seared the lamb on all sides; removed the pot from the heat; discarded any accumulated fat in the pot; and added garlic, lemon zest, and spices to the pot with the lamb just before it went into the oven.
Before You Begin
We prefer the shank end of the boneless leg of lamb here (rather than the sirloin end). There are two methods butchers use to remove the bone from the meat, referred to as corkscrewed and butterflied; we find the corkscrewed type much easier to work with but a butterflied leg of lamb will also work.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 250 degrees. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the lamb well on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch. Transfer the lamb to a large plate.
- Pour off all of the fat from the pot. Add the garlic, olives, lemon zest, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, and cumin seeds and nestle the lamb, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Place a large sheet of foil over the and press to seal, then cover tightly with the lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the very center of the lamb registers 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare), 45 to 60 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick from the jus in the pot, then cover to keep the jus warm.
- Remove the twine, slice the lamb into 1/4-inch-thick slices against the grain, and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the jus over the lamb and serve.
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