Recipe: Slow-Roasted Lamb with Puy Lentils

John Bishop’s Puy lentils with lamb | BCBusiness

One of our favourite hearty fall meals comes from Vancouver chef and restaurateur John Bishop’s award-winning cookbook, Fresh: Seasonal Recipes Made with Local Foods. It’s a tummy-warming, slow-roasted lamb and Puy lentil stew. Here’s the how to:

Slow-Roasted Lamb

Ingredients:
1 boneless lamb shoulder
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp sliced garlic
 
Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F
2. Rub lamb shoulder with olive oil, salt and pepper. Score the skin and insert garlic slices into the meat.
3. Roll lamb into a 6-inch cylinder (approximately) and hold in place with butcher’s twine or similar every two inches.
4. Place in roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes, until lamb is golden brown and skin is crispy. Remove from oven.
5. Reduce heat to 350 F. Cover the roasting pan and the lamb with two layers of aluminum foil and seal tightly.
6. Bake the lamb for two hours, or until very tender when pierced with a knife. Allow to rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing.

Puy Lentil Stew

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
½ cup diced celery root
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup diced parsnips
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup Puy lentils, washed and drained
½ cup red wine
4 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, celery root, carrots and parsnips and sauté until lightly coloured.
2. Stir in paprika, cumin and lentils. Add wine, mix well and pour in vegetable stock. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for one hour, or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt to taste.
3. Ladle stew into warmed bowls. Cut lamb into one-inch thick slices and place two slices on top of each bowl of stew.
4. Serve and enjoy!