7 hours

Traditionally, at least in some traditions, lamb is eaten during the Easter celebration, all the more as we have been made to believe that this is actually the way nature wants it (you may want to read The River Cottage Meat Book - but be prepared for a shocking trip down reality lane...). Far from all traditions and make believe stories then, we have been cooking away lamb in a new way over the Christmas holiday season and I promise there was nothing wrong with the final result!

In true Chrstmas, or rather, post-Christmas, spirit then, it is time to share the recipe of the 7-hour lamb. Please don't be shocked: those "7 hours" have absolutely nothing to do with the number of hours the little lamb lived on this earth. Yes, this is what I thought at first. Not smart, hun? The first time I had this, I was in the Hôtel des Isles, a favorite stand-by of ours for the long week-ends by the sea. It was a revelation and I promised to myself to test the recipe once home. It turned out, I did not even have to look for a recipe since a friend of ours gladly shared his with us while simply talking about wine... All the roads lead to lamb. Luckily.

The number of hours refers to the ultimate lamb treatment: 7 hours of slow cooking in the oven at a low temperature (150 °C). The long cooking time makes the meat so incredibly tender that you won't have to use a knife in the end - a fork will do and your hands or dishwasher will be grateful.

To spice things up a bit, you should add to your pan (ideally one that can be smoothly conveyed from the stove to the oven): a bottle of Monbasillac (or two, depending on the size of your lamb cut - over 2 kilos I would go for 2), laurel leaves, carrots cut into thick slices (they too, will take the 7-hour route), potatoes, turnips (leave them whole) and little onions (leave them whole too). All of these lovely ingredients will cook together and you will only need to bast the meat every 30-45 minutes and turn it around half way. The recipe will yield sweet and sticky juices and the veggies will look shiny and taste rich. 

I guess that is all a festive table needs.

Happy Cooking!

Credits: here