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Easter lamb from Sicily
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion minced
- 2 kg lamb shoulder well-trimmed, boneless, in chunks for stew
- 600 ml lamb stock
- 2 tbsp potato starch
- 400 ml heavy cream
- 6 egg yolks
- 4 lemons for juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp mint fresh, chopped
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole, add the onion and saute until it is translucent. Stir in the lamb and add the stock, using enough to cover the lamb. Bring to a simmer; cover and cook over medium-low heat until the lamb is tender, about 45 minutes.
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Remove the lamb from the broth.
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Strain the broth and remove as much of the fat as possible. (You can do this by starting the preparation the night before and refrigerating the lamb, covered, overnight and also refrigerating the stock. When the stock has chilled sufficiently, the fat can be lifted off and discarded.)
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Shortly before serving, measure the strained broth. You should have about 400ml. Add a little stock if there is less. If there is more you should plan to increase the amount of potato starch proportionately.
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Slowly beat some of the cream into the potato starch, beating to blend the cream and the starch together. When the starch is liquefied stir in any remaining cream.
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Bring the stock to a simmer in a casserole.
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Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a bowl.
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With the stock barely simmering, slowly whisk in the egg-yolk mixture. Then slowly beat the cream mixture into the stock mixture. Cook slowly, about five minutes, until the stock thickens and becomes sauce, then return the lamb to the sauce.
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When the lamb has been sufficiently reheated, season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
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Transfer the stew to a warm serving dish, sprinkle with the mint, then serve.
Recipe Notes
Recipe by the new York Times / Florence Fabricant