BRAISED LAMB WITH HORSERADISH AND PARSLEY

Braised Lamb with Horseradish and Parsley image

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories Lamb Braise Passover Horseradish Parsley

Yield Makes 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

For lamb:
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless lamb, from the shoulder or leg, cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes
6 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
2 cups chicken or lamb stock, white wine, water, or a combination
1 large horseradish root (about 3/4 pound)
For purée:
2 packed cups parsley leaves, thick stems discarded, washed, spun dry, and roughly chopped
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon sherry or other vinegar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps:

Make the lamb:
1. Combine the salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting cover, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add as many of the lamb cubes as will fit without crowding and cook, undisturbed, until they are well browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. (You will inevitably have to brown in batches.) Turn the cubes over, season with some of the salt and pepper mix, and brown on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat (the browning will take about 15 minutes total if your skillet is 12 inches or larger). Adjust the heat so the pieces brown as rapidly as possible without burning. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool for 1 minute.
2. Turn the heat back to medium, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 1 minute. Pour the stock, wine, or water into the pan, raise the heat, and bring the liquid to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any cooked-on bits. Simmer for 1 minute.
3. Add the browned lamb, along with any juices that have collected on the plate. Bring the pot to a boil, cover, then reduce the heat until the mixture simmers very gently.
4. Peel the horseradish and cut it into 1/4-inch-thick slices (keep the root from your eyes and nose; it's pungent). Stir the horseradish into the pot. Simmer, covered, until the lamb is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours (shoulder meat will cook faster than leg meat). Taste the lamb before serving and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Make the parsley purée:
5. In a blender combine the parsley with half the olive oil and the garlic cloves. Purée to a rough paste, then pour in the remaining oil while the blender is running and process to a smooth paste. Mix in the vinegar and salt, taste, and adjust the seasonings if desired.
6. Serve the stew, passing the parsley purée on the side.