{these pictures do not do this poor little lamb justice}

I’m not sure which I know less about, cooking lamb or the process of braising anything. It’s that chilly time of year again that I covet everso and up until now, no soup or slow cooked delicacies have emerged from my kitchen. I’ve been trying to eat things lately that I don’t normally (please see exhibit A for details). Fennel and lamb both being a road less traveled for me I bravely filled up my shopping basket. And in an effort I can only describe to you now as courageous, possibly heroic, I drove home at warp speed to settle the score between this strange vegetable, the awkwardly shaped cuts of meat, and myself.

4 pieces lamb, bone in
1/2 sm yellow onion, quartered
1 8oz can cannellini beans, strained
1 8oz can whole plum tomatos, strained
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1-2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
dry white wine
salt, pepper, olive oil
1/2 head radicchio, quartered
2 bulbs fennel, cut in wedges
2 leeks, quartered
vegetable broth

Salt and pepper the lamb and brown for a few minutes, remove from pan, add onions and garlic untill tender. Return the lamb to it’s rightful pan, add wine 3/4 of the way up, rosemary, reduce for a bit and add the cannellini and tomatos. Salt, pepper, cover, and into a 325F oven for at least 2 hours.

I carefully checked it about an hour in to test the seasoning and then back into the oven that I turned up to 375F to achieve those delicious little brown bits I love so much. Miraculously, the beans maintained their shape allowing the onions, garlic, and tomatos to dissolve into the savory-est of juices. Mmm, this is all that was left on my plate! As you can see, it was awful.

I cooked the veggies at the same time using almost the same method as the lamb. Using a separate pan, I browned the radicchio, fennel, and leeks in a little olive oil over a very high heat to get them a slightly charred, salt and pepper, a couple inches of vegetable broth, cover, and into the oven next to the lamb.

They cooked untill they were all so tender the flavors melded together into a caramelized goodness perfect to accompany the lamb. This was so good you guys but I really need to get Molly Stevens’ book very soon; I can’t continue braising without a plan like this. It’s just not responsible! Slurp.

{tags braised lamb radicchio fennel recipe}