Braised leg of lamb
Ingredients
1 5½- to 6-pound, bone-in leg of lamb
1 750 milliliter bottle of dry red wine, such as Zinfandel
1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
? cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the sauce
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning the sauce
½ teaspoon ground coriander
4 teaspoons olive oil
3 medium garlic heads, sliced in half horizontally
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, 5- to 6-inches each
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
Finely grated zest of 1 medium orange
Juice of 1 medium orange
Instructions
1 Let the lamb sit at room temperature for one hour. Heat the oven to 475°F and arrange rack in the middle.
2 Meanwhile, prepare the braising liquid. Place the wine, broth, honey, mustard, zest and juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the honey has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3 Combine the measured salt and pepper and the coriander in a small bowl. Rub the lamb all over with the olive oil, then evenly rub it all over with the coriander mixture. Place the lamb fat-side up in a large roasting pan and roast until the surface is browned all over, about 30 minutes.
4 Remove the lamb from the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F. Pour the braising liquid into the pan and add the garlic heads cut-side down. Scatter the rosemary, fennel and onion around the pan and carefully cover tightly with foil (you will probably need two overlapping pieces). Return the lamb to the oven and braise until the meat is very tender and pulls away easily from the bone, about 2½ hours. Remove the foil and return the lamb to the oven until it’s deeply browned all over and the pan juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes more.
5 Remove the lamb to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and strain the braising liquid, pressing on the solids; discard the solids. Using a large spoon, skim and discard the excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid (alternatively, you can use a fat separator). Heat the braising liquid over medium-high heat until boiling. Continue boiling until reduced to about 1½ cups, about 25 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Carve the lamb and serve with the sauce.
