Lamb with citrus and mustard, a delicious and beautiful main course to serve all year round, but especially at Christmas. It can easily replace the classic roast lamb with potatoes, becoming a slightly more gourmet dish that is perfect for special occasions. It is still a simple and quick recipe suitable for everyone because the hallmark of my dishes is precisely this. I often rework complicated and lengthy existing recipes to make them extremely easy.
For those who are not Roman, I would like to remind you that ‘abbacchio’ refers to a milk-fed lamb that does not exceed 6 kg (13 lbs). From 7 to 12 kg (15 to 26 lbs) it is a lamb, and above this weight, we are talking about sheep.
If you like lamb and want some more ideas, then don’t miss the next recipes:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
Ingredients
- 1.76 lbs lamb pieces (shoulder or loin)
- 3.5 oz red onion
- 2 cups apple
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsps rum
- 2 tbsps raisins
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste pomegranate seeds for garnish only
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Paper Towels
Preparation
Take the lamb out of the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking, to bring it to room temperature. This way it won’t suffer thermal shock when it comes into contact with the hot pan and will remain tender. In the meantime, organize the workspace with all the necessary ingredients and tools to make our work easier. Chop the onion into small pieces and the apples into medium dice after peeling them. Now we can flour the pieces of meat, but only after patting them dry with paper towels to remove any moisture.
Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan, add the onion and apples, and sauté over high heat for about 1 minute. Add the lamb and brown it for a few minutes.
Adjust the salt and add the raisins, pine nuts, and rum to the saucepan.
Without lowering the heat, pour in all the previously heated orange juice, add the mustard, and mix well to dissolve it. Cover and complete the cooking: it will take about 20 minutes. If the cooking liquid dries up quickly, add a few tablespoons of water or more juice, but always boiling.
Serve our Lamb with Citrus and Mustard immediately, placing it on a serving platter with all the cooking juices. If desired, decorate with pomegranate seeds.
Tips
The lamb stew keeps for about three days in the refrigerator, but in an airtight container.
You can prepare it ahead of time for an event and reheat it, preferably in the microwave. This way it won’t dry out, and resting for at least one day will enhance its flavor.
If you want to prepare it well in advance, you can even freeze it, but I recommend slow thawing in the refrigerator and never at room temperature. This way, you can avoid minor or serious food intoxications.
If you want to prepare it well in advance, you can even freeze it, but I recommend slow thawing in the refrigerator and never at room temperature. This way, you can avoid minor or serious food intoxications.
