BRAISED AND BROWNED LAMB WITH PEACHES

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Braised and Browned Lamb with Peaches image

A logical combination and glorious once you taste it, with the sweet juice of the peaches deftly cutting through the richness of the lamb without being piercing. A hint of cinnamon (or an even smaller one of allspice-maybe an eighth of a teaspoon) gives the dish a great aroma as it cooks and a slightly mysterious flavor at the table. A pinch of cayenne or other red pepper makes a nice addition. Whereas most braises begin with browning, this one ends with it, like the Braised and Grilled Lamb Shanks on page 188\. This method reduces both spattering and time-since the lamb's liquid is mostly gone by the end of cooking, it doesn't go flying from the hot fat, and the meat browns faster. And the peaches, browning lightly in the same cooking liquid, contribute some of their juices to the pan while becoming meltingly tender.

Yield makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and gristle and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt
1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or other red pepper, or to taste
1 medium to large onion, cut in half
1/2 cup port, red wine, or water
4 medium to large ripe peaches
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Steps:

  • Put the lamb in a 12-inch skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Season with salt and add the cinnamon, cayenne, onion, and wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers steadily but not violently. Cook, checking and stirring every 15 minutes or so, adding a little more liquid in the unlikely event that the mixture cooks dry. (This probably means that the heat is too high; turn it down a bit.)
  • After 1 to 1 1/2 hours, the meat should be tender when poked with a small, sharp knife; remove the onion and cinnamon stick, then turn the heat to medium-high and cook off any remaining liquid, allowing the lamb to brown a little. Cut the peaches in half and remove their pits, then cut each of them into 12 or 16 wedges. Stir in the peaches and continue to cook, gently tossing or stirring the mixture, until the peaches are glazed and quite soft but still intact, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and most of the parsley; taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining bit of herb and serve.

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