Braised Lambs Hearts with Barley Risotto
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Don’t be scared about the idea of eating hearts, they are delicious and packed with nutrients.
Ingredients
For the Lambs Hearts
1.2 kg lamb hearts
30 g flour, for dusting
splash of olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 large carrots
1 stick celery
1 bay leaf
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
For the Barley Risotto
50 g butter
2 C (500 ml) mirepoix vegetables (combination of approximately 2 onions, 2 carrot and 2 sticks of celery – finely chopped)
300 g pearl barley
3 C (750 ml) beef stock
1 C (250ml) cream
1⁄2 C (125ml) parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
To Make the Lambs Hearts
Preheat oven to 160ºC.
Clean the hearts by cutting them in half and de-veining. Dust lightly in flour. Place a heavy-bottomed, overproof saucepan over a medium heat and brown the hearts using a splash of olive oil. Once browned, remove and set aside. Place all the vegetables in the same saucepan and brown. Add the wine and stock to de-glaze the pan, and reduce the liquid by a third.
Add the hearts back into the saucepan and then place into the oven to braise until tender. This should take approximately two to three hours (if you don’t have an overproof saucepan, transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish).
Remove from the oven and strain the braising liquid. Place the liquid into a small saucepan over a medium heat and reduce to a sauce consistency (It should thicken and be glossy)
To Make the Barley Risotto
Place butter into a medium-sized saucepan, over a medium to low heat. Add the mirepoix vegetables and sweat gently until soft.
Add the barley, and cook for three minutes. Add the stock, one ladle at a time, letting it cook down before adding more liquid. When the barley is almost soft, add the cream and reduce until the barley falls off a spoon when scooped. Season and mix in the chopped parsley.
Serve the barley hot, topped with lamb’s heart and drizzled with sauce. A light, pickled vegetable salad will be a good accompaniment.
