Zinfandel-Braised Leg of Lamb |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Reducing the wine before placing it in the slow cooker gives the dish a more rounded flavor. Ingredients:
1 (2 1/2-pound) boneless leg of lamb |
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided |
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided |
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour |
2 teaspoons olive oil |
1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed |
1 teaspoon whole allspice, crushed |
6 garlic cloves, sliced |
1 cup zinfandel or other fruity dry red wine |
1 teaspoon dried basil |
2 bay leaves |
6 cups hot cooked egg noodles (about 4 3/4 cups uncooked pasta) |
Directions:
1. Unroll lamb; trim fat. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reroll lamb; secure at 1-inch intervals with twine. Sprinkle evenly with flour. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Place lamb in an electric slow cooker. Add juniper berries, allspice, and garlic to pan; cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned. Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Scrape wine mixture into cooker; add basil and bay leaves. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until lamb is tender.
2. Remove lamb from cooker; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper to cooking liquid; stir. Remove twine from lamb, and discard. Break lamb into chunks with 2 forks. Serve lamb and cooking liquid over egg noodles.
3. Wine note: With jammy fruit and light tannins, zinfandel makes a great wine for cooking. Choose something you'll relish drinking with the dish, like Francis Coppola Director's Cut Zinfandel 2005 ($22). Bursting with raspberry and cherry flavors, the peppery notes of this wine are a good match for the spicy, herbal qualities of the sauce, while the modest tannins are perfect with leaner red meat. —Jeffery Lindenmuth
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