WINE & FOOD AFFAIR RECIPES

Main Dish

Seven-Hour Lamb with Flageolets

GC Lurton Vineyard Tasting Room

422 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg, CA 95403
gc-lurton-estates.com/acaibo.html

This traditional French dish, seven-hour leg of lamb, has been around for a few hundred years. Seven hours is about how long it takes to cook in a low oven. The meat practically melts into the flavorful cooking juices, and the aroma of the lamb, garlic and flavorings is intoxicating. I love to serve with flageolets, or French-style white beans, which soak up the lamb cooking juices.

Lamb

Ingredients:
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 yellow onions, chopped
  • 5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 boneless leg of lamb, about 6 pounds
  • 2 garlic cloves, cut into thin sticks
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Directions:
To prepare the lamb, scatter the chopped garlic, onions, carrots, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves in a large slow cooker.

Using a sharp knife, poke 1/2-inch-deep holes evenly over the surface of the leg of lamb. Insert the sticks of garlic into the holes. Season the lamb with kosher salt and pepper.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the lamb and brown it on all sides, about 15 minutes. Place the lamb on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.

Add the wine to the fry pan and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine and the broth into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low according to the manufacturer's instructions until the meat is very tender, 7 to 10 hours. Transfer the lamb to a serving dish and cover to keep warm. 

Strain the juices from the slow cooker and discards the solids. Skim off the fat and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper.

Serve the lamb with the flageolets (recipe below) (or white beans) and the sauce.

Flageolets

Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds flageolet beans
  • 1 bouquet garni
  • 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 quarts cold water
Directions:
To prepare the flageolets, rinse and pick over the flageolet beans. Place in a large bowl, add cold water to cover and soak overnight.

Drain the beans and place in a large pot with the bouquet garni, carrot and onion. Cover with the 3 quarts cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are completely tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

GC Lurton Vineyard Tasting Room

422 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg, CA 95403
gc-lurton-estates.com/acaibo.html