Mediterranean-Style Braised Lamb
serves 4-6
This is a simple weeknight dinner, especially if you use leftover tomato sauce instead of making it fresh -- this one came from a dish of baked fish Provencale.
This recipe is part of Andrew Schloss's Sunday Dinners.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 stalks fresh fennel, diced
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
15 plum tomatoes, diced (about 3 pounds)
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
4 shoulder lamb chops (about 2 pounds)
3/4 cup white wine
12 pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
prep: 20 minutes
total: 50 minutes
large skillet or saucepan
large baking dish
whisk
spoon
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan and sauté the onion and fennel until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the Herbes de Provence and garlic and cook 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes and stir until the tomatoes soften and release their moisture, about 3 minutes. Add the orange juice and basil and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the lamb and brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and boil for 3 minutes. Ad the tomato sauce and the olives. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lamb is fork-tender.
3. Whisk together the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Spoon off the fat from the skillet of lamb and stir the dressing into the sauce.
