Lamb with Wild Artichokes in Egg-and-Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 kg cleaned wild artichokes
- 1.5 kg lamb shoulder, cut into serving pieces
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ glass of dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 egg yolks
- Juice of 2 small lemons
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Even if the wild artichokes have already been cleaned, they will need a final trim to remove any remaining thorns, tough fibres, or discoloured parts. An easy way to do this is by gently scrubbing them under running water with a kitchen scouring pad. Trim away any blemishes with a small knife, then cut the artichokes into pieces approximately 8–10 cm long.
- Ideally, use young lamb, preferably shoulder or ribs, as it becomes especially tender during cooking. However, leg of lamb or meat from an older animal can also be used—it will simply require a longer cooking time. Rinse the meat well, pat it dry, and season with salt. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, wide pot and brown the lamb in three batches, allowing enough space for the moisture to evaporate. This ensures the meat browns gently rather than steams. Avoid over-browning.
- Transfer the browned lamb to a plate. In the same pot, sauté the onion until softened and translucent. Return the meat to the pot and deglaze with the white wine. Once the alcohol has evaporated, season with pepper, add the bay leaves, and pour in enough water to cover about two-thirds of the meat. Cover and simmer gently until the lamb is almost fork-tender, checking occasionally and adding a little water only if necessary. The sauce should remain rich and concentrated rather than watery.
- Once the lamb has begun to soften, add the wild artichokes. Arrange them over the meat so they are partially submerged in the cooking liquid—they do not need to be completely covered. Cook for another 30–40 minutes, until both the lamb and the artichokes are perfectly tender. Remove the pot from the heat before preparing the egg-and-lemon sauce.
- In a glass, dissolve the cornstarch in a little water. Pour it into a bowl with 3 egg yolks and the lemon juice, and whisk well with a whisk. (The cornstarch we’ve added not only thickens the sauce but also helps prevent the egg-lemon mixture from curdling.) Gradually, starting from the edge of the pot, use a ladle to add 2 ladlefuls of the hot broth from the dish to the bowl, while continuing to whisk. Then, pour the egg-lemon mixture into the pot (which we’ve removed from the heat) and swirl the pot by its handles with both hands so that it spreads evenly throughout. Once the egg-lemon mixture is incorporated into the dish, return the pot to very low heat and let it sit for a few seconds, swirling it in a circular motion, until you feel the first bubbles of boiling begin to form. Remove from the heat immediately, let it “settle”… and you’re ready to enjoy an amazing meal!
Lamb with Wild Artichokes in Egg-and-Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 kg cleaned wild artichokes
- 1.5 kg lamb shoulder, cut into serving pieces
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ glass of dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 egg yolks
- Juice of 2 small lemons
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Even if the wild artichokes have already been cleaned, they will need a final trim to remove any remaining thorns, tough fibres, or discoloured parts. An easy way to do this is by gently scrubbing them under running water with a kitchen scouring pad. Trim away any blemishes with a small knife, then cut the artichokes into pieces approximately 8–10 cm long.
- Ideally, use young lamb, preferably shoulder or ribs, as it becomes especially tender during cooking. However, leg of lamb or meat from an older animal can also be used—it will simply require a longer cooking time. Rinse the meat well, pat it dry, and season with salt. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, wide pot and brown the lamb in three batches, allowing enough space for the moisture to evaporate. This ensures the meat browns gently rather than steams. Avoid over-browning.
- Transfer the browned lamb to a plate. In the same pot, sauté the onion until softened and translucent. Return the meat to the pot and deglaze with the white wine. Once the alcohol has evaporated, season with pepper, add the bay leaves, and pour in enough water to cover about two-thirds of the meat. Cover and simmer gently until the lamb is almost fork-tender, checking occasionally and adding a little water only if necessary. The sauce should remain rich and concentrated rather than watery.
- Once the lamb has begun to soften, add the wild artichokes. Arrange them over the meat so they are partially submerged in the cooking liquid—they do not need to be completely covered. Cook for another 30–40 minutes, until both the lamb and the artichokes are perfectly tender. Remove the pot from the heat before preparing the egg-and-lemon sauce.
- In a glass, dissolve the cornstarch in a little water. Pour it into a bowl with 3 egg yolks and the lemon juice, and whisk well with a whisk. (The cornstarch we’ve added not only thickens the sauce but also helps prevent the egg-lemon mixture from curdling.) Gradually, starting from the edge of the pot, use a ladle to add 2 ladlefuls of the hot broth from the dish to the bowl, while continuing to whisk. Then, pour the egg-lemon mixture into the pot (which we’ve removed from the heat) and swirl the pot by its handles with both hands so that it spreads evenly throughout. Once the egg-lemon mixture is incorporated into the dish, return the pot to very low heat and let it sit for a few seconds, swirling it in a circular motion, until you feel the first bubbles of boiling begin to form. Remove from the heat immediately, let it “settle”… and you’re ready to enjoy an amazing meal!
All recipes are from blamegastronomy.com
