Braised Lamb With Anchovy Sauce (abbacchio Alla Cacciatora)

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 flat anchovy fillets, drained, washed and dried

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 500*. in a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil until a light haze forms over it. add the lamb, 4 or 5 chunks at a time, and brown it over moderately high heat.
• 2 as the chunks become richly colored on all sides, transfer them to a heavy 2 1/2- to 3-quart flameproof casserole. then pour off all but a thin film of fat from the skillet and set the pan aside.
• 3 season the lamb with garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, and sprinkle it with flour, tossing the meat with a wooden spoon to coat the chunks as evenly as possible with the seasonings and flour.
• 4 place the casserole in the upper third of the oven and brown the lamb uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, turning it 2 or 3 times.
• 5 when no trace of gummy flour remains and the chunks of lamb are lightly crusted, remove the casserole from the oven and reduce the oven heat to 350*.
• 6 pour the vinegar into the waiting skillet and boil it briskly over high heat for a minute or two, scraping in any browned bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan.
• 7 add the chicken stock to the vinegar, bring to a boil, and pour the liquid over the lamb in the casserole. cover the casserole and place it in the middle of the oven.
• 8 braise the lamb for about 1 hour, or until it is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. (if the braising sauce seems to be cooking away too fast, add a little more stock, a tblsp. at a time.).
• 9 just before serving, ladle 1 or 2 tblsp. of the sauce from the casserole in to a small bowl and mix in the chopped anchovies. stir the anchovy mixture into the casserole and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more. serve the lamb directly from the casserole or in a deep, heated platter.