Braised Lamb
Chef Daniel Boulud gives a lesson on braising when he prepares braised lamb shoulder with potatoes and fennel.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees with rack the in lower third of the oven. In a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs with chopped garlic, chopped rosemary, and chopped sage; drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and toss to combine. Set aside. Using kitchen twine, tie together remaining sprigs of rosemary and sage to make an herb bouquet; set aside.
Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add lamb, searing on all sides until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove lamb; set aside.
Add potatoes, fennel, celery, sliced garlic, coriander, and reserved herb bouquet to the Dutch oven; saute, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, lemons, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Return lamb to pot, and sprinkle reserved breadcrumb mixture evenly over lamb.
Cover, and transfer to oven; cook for 1 hour. Using a pastry brush, baste the lamb, being careful not to disturb the crumb crust. Cover, and cook until crust is golden and crispy, about 30 minutes more. Transfer lamb and vegetables to a large serving platter; serve immediately.
Worked exactly as video with Daniel Boulud showed. Used New Zealand 4 lb. shoulder, but did not change other ingredients. Cooking time increased 45 minutes until lamb had the "give" tender, plus resting time. Surprisingly subtle in seasoning; had a 1970 Mouton at Easter with it. Great recipe. Would do again.
I still love this dish and every time I see Meyer's Lemons at Whole Foods I make this again. I had to buy a 13.5 quart Le Creuset pot - but have found many other uses for this.