Ontario Lamb Pot au Feu Recipe
From Chef David Chrystian at Chez Victor
If you’re a fan of Ontario lamb (or any lamb for that matter) and if you’re looking for bona fide comfort food, here’s a recipe from Chez Victor’s Chef David Chrystian to keep you warm and cozy this winter. It’s one of the restaurants best sellers and once you try this at home, you’ll soon see why.
Ontario Lamb Pot au Feu Recipe
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 rack of Ontario Lamb
- 1 boneless shoulder of lamb
- 1 bunch baby carrots
- 6 small organic potatoes, fingerling, blue, baby Yukon, mini red
- ½ lb chanterelle mushrooms
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 white onion
- 1 large carrot for braising
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch of thyme
- 12 juniper berries
- 4 tablespoons of balsam jelly
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups natural chicken or lamb stock
- Seasonal vegetables such as green or wax beans, pearl onions, baby spinach or chard, zucchini, or fennel
- Olive oil as required
- Butter as required
- Salt and pepper
Method:
Begin by braising the lamb shoulder. Season the lamb with generous amounts of salt and cracked pepper, and sear in a medium-hot stock pot. Once all sides are golden brown, remove from the pot. Strain the fat and add some butter, add chopped onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme, juniper, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lightly brown these vegetables, and add the shoulder back to the pot. Deglaze with white wine, chicken stock and the balsam jelly. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly for 2-4 hours, covered, until the meat is very tender.
Remove the shoulder from the broth and strain the liquid through a fine sieve, reserving as the broth later. (A tip would be to do this step one day before, and allow the broth to cool overnight in the fridge. The fat would harden on the top, making the broth more clear, and refined)
Clean the rack by scraping any skin off the bones, tie with butchers twine to ensure a uniform shape while cooking, season with salt and pepper and sear the fat side in a large heavy bottom skillet. Sear the flesh side and then continue to roast in a 400*F oven for 15 minutes for medium and shorter or longer depending on specified doneness. Allow to rest, while bringing the broth back to a simmer, add the remaining vegetables into the broth and lightly poach them in it. When the vegetables are tender, distribute into bowls, slice the shoulder and place over the vegetables, place one chop on top and add the broth over.
To read more about Chez Victor click here or to try your hand at another winter classic, try the Berkshire Pork Cassoulet recipe.
