Author Notes
I love the flavor of fresh, sweet oranges with salty cured olives but had never tried an actual braised meat with that combination. I've certainly read many recipes that combine meat or poultry with olives and oranges, especially Mediterrenean recipes from Spain, Provençe, and Morocco. I decided to try it based on some of the best ingredients I had, both fresh and canned. These included a local half leg of lamb (raised by a friend but butchered at the local USDA butcher), fresh blood and navel oranges, fresh rosemary that I raise indoors during the winter, a bottle of "French" olives that I had received for Christmas, and homemade canned tomato passata. I love the flavor. It's a very strong, dominant combination of flavors so I served it first with mashed potatoes and parsnips and some broccoli. But as leftovers, I had it with glazed carrots and polenta. Yummy! —Linda's Kitchen
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
1
half of a bone-in, leg of lamb
-
Salt and pepper
-
5-6 tablespoons
olive oil
-
1
large onion, diced
-
10, or, to taste,
cloves of garlic, smashed and diced
-
2 sprigs
fresh rosemary
-
1/4 cup
red wine
-
1/3 cup
black kalamari or gaeta olives
-
1
orange, quartered
-
1/1 cup
tomato passata
-
2 cups
chicken stock
-
orange zest
Directions
-
Preheat oven to 375F.
-
Salt and pepper the leg of lamb. In a large casserole (I use cast iron), heat the olive oil to smoking. Lower heat. Add the lamb and sear until well carmelized. Transfer to a plate.
-
Add onions to the oil and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook another 30-60 seconds. Add rosemary.
-
Add red wine and reduce. Then add tomato passata and chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
-
Place in oven for 2-3 hours, tightly covered. I usually put a piece of foil between my cast iron lid and the pot.
-
Before serving, add orange zest. Next time I would use orange zest combined with parsley.
See what other Food52ers are saying.