Home > Recipes > Lamb Casserole with Butternut Squash
Lamb
casserole with butternut squash.
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 Tbsp olive oil
4 Lamb shanks or necks of lamb (1 lb each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
16 garlic cloves, 12 unpeeled,4 minced
6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 cups dry red wine
6 cups chicken stock
Two 3-inch strips of orange zest
3 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups cooked cannellini beans
1 Heat 4 Tbsp of olive oil in a large cast-iron enameled casserole. Season
the lamb with salt and pepper, add them to the casserole and brown well on
all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a plate.
2 Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange two racks in the oven, one to
hold the casserole and one to hold a baking sheet with the squash. Add the
unpeeled garlic cloves, celery, carrots and onion to the casserole. Cook over
moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add
the wine; boil over high heat until the liquid is very syrupy, about 15 minutes.
3 Return the lamb to the casserole and add the stock and orange zest. Bring
to a simmer. Cover the casserole and braise the lamb in the oven for about
2 hours, or until the meat is very tender (when we cooked this dish it took
3 hours); turn the lamb from time to time as it cooks.
4 Meanwhile, on a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the remaining
2 Tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven (along
with the lamb) for about an hour, or until tender.
5 In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic with the parsley and lemon zest (the
"gremolata"). Set aside.
6 Remove the lamb from the oven and transfer to a plate. Pass the sauce through
a coarse strainer, pressing hard on the vegetables. Discard the vegetable
pulp. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce.
7 Return the sauce to the casserole, season with salt and pepper and bring
to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the lamb and squash; simmer just
until warmed through. Add the cannellini beans, cover and remove from heat.
Let stand for a few minutes to allow for the flavors to blend.
8 Spoon the vegetables and sauce into 2 large shallow bowls and set the lamb
on top. Garnish with the gremolata and serve.




