Loading...
Slow Roasted Italian-style Lamb with Spinach Polenta
A perfect pairing of the tastiest ingredients!
- Difficulty: easy
- Prep Time : 5 mins |
- Cook Time : 4:0 hours
Ingredients
Lamb
2 kg leg of lamb on the bone
¼ C (60 ml) seasoned flour
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
125 g diced pancetta or streaky bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 C (250 ml) full-bodied red wine
2 Tbsp (30 ml) Nomu lamb stock concentrate
2 sprigs rosemary, stalks removed
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans whole tomatoes
4 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Spinach polenta
4 C (1 L) chicken stock
1½ C (375 ml) polenta
250 ml reduced-fat cream
about 400 g Swiss chard, chopped and steamed until tender
1 C (250 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Roasted vine tomatoes
200 g vine tomatoes
olive oil, for drizzling
Maldon salt
Parmesan shavings
basil leaves
Method
Lamb
Preheat the oven to 160 ˚C.
Lightly dust the leg of lamb with the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the lamb on all sides. Place in a deep roasting tray.
In the same pan, fry the pancetta until slightly crispy, add the onion and sauté until fragrant and glossy. Add the wine and stock concentrate and simmer for 2 minutes, then pour all the pan contents over the lamb together with the rosemary, garlic, tomatoes and bay leaves. Cover with foil (shiny side down) and roast for 4 hours. After 4 hours the sauce will be flavourful and reduced and the meat will break away from the bone with ease.
Remove the meat from the sauce and allow to rest before slicing (or rather breaking apart!). Remove the bay leaves from the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the sliced/shredded meat back into the tomato sauce, cover with foil again and keep warm in a low oven or warmer drawer.
Spinach polenta (prepare when ready to serve lamb)
Bring the chicken stock to the boil and slowly whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, place the steamed spinach into a blender and pulse to make a purée. After 15 minutes, taste the polenta to see if the granules are cooked, then add the cream and spinach and heat though. Stir until well combined. Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Season well with salt and pepper.
Roasted vine tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 200 ˚C.
Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with Maldon salt. Roast for 15 minutes until they start to burst.
Serve the lamb and sauce on a bed of polenta with some roasted vine tomatoes, Parmesan shavings and basil leaves.
