Southern Protocol

If you haven’t been to the uber-foodie blog Chocolate and Zucchini, you need to go immediately. I’ll wait here for you to get back…I’ll also be here waiting when you run to the kitchen to eat because you’re suddenly craving good food.

Wasn’t that fun? I decided to pick out one of the most delicious-looking recipes on this favorite Southern Protocol blog for our Taste of the Week. Lamb is such a savory, delicate protein choice for a main dish; and no matter what you do with it, it always sounds ten times fancier than it really is. Case in point, this mouthwatering recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini French author and chef extrodinare,  Clotilde Dusoulier. Absolute perfection for your next dinner party.

Souris d’Agneau Confites (Braised Lamb Shanks…but doesn’t it sound better in French?)
-4 lamb shanks
-3 onions, peeled and sliced
-3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
-1 of bottle of strong red wine
-1 14-oz can of good-quality diced tomatoes
-1 lb fresh brown mushrooms, feet cut, hats brushed carefully, clean and sliced
-1 tbsp whole cumin seeds, toasted to bring out their flavor
-1 tbsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your tolerance to spicy!)
-2 tbsp honey
-Fresh cilantro
-Olive oil
-Salt

The day before, combine the onions and garlic, the lamb and the wine in a large pan with a lid (a cast-iron cocotte is ideal), cover and leave in the refrigerator to marinate.

The next day, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the meat from the marinade and set it aside. Strain the marinade, keep the liquids in a large mixing bowl, and set the onions and garlic aside.

Heat some olive oil in the pan, and brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat and set aside. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms to the pan and cook over medium heat for about ten minutes, or until the onion is soft. Sprinkle the vegetables with the coriander, cumin and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Add in the meat and season with salt.

Combine the canned tomatoes and honey with the reserved marinade, and pour into the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid and put into the oven for two hours. Halfway into the baking, take the pan out of the oven, flip the meat to ensure even cooking, and return into the oven for another hour.

Remove the pan from the oven and the meat from the pan, set aside and cover with foil to keep warm. Put the pan, lid off, over medium-high heat and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by half. Return the meat into the sauce, cover, and cook for another fifteen minutes to reheat thoroughly.

Transfer into a warmed up serving platter, sprinkle with fresh cilantro leaves and serve immediately, or serve from the pan. This can be made ahead and reheated just before serving.

I realize this is a trickier recipe than most we’ve featured on Southern Protocol, but it will be worth it! I’ve made a personal New Year’s resolution to push my love for cooking even further, challenging myself at least a few times a month with harder recipes. This is a great example of that type of recipe. Enjoy!

(Picture of lamb shanks shown with polenta sandwiches – recipe on site)

Tags: chocolate and zucchini, dinner party, lamb, taste of the week