Lamb with Citrus and Mustard, a delicious and beautiful main course to serve all year round, especially at Christmas. It can perfectly replace the classic lamb with roasted potatoes, becoming a slightly more gourmet dish that never hurts in these cases. It’s still a simple and quick recipe suitable for everyone, because what sets my preparations apart is just this. Often I rework complicated and long-existing recipes to make them extremely easy.
I wanted to remind those who are not from Rome that ‘abbacchio’ refers to a milk-fed lamb that does not exceed 13 lbs. From 14 to 26 lbs it is a lamb, and beyond this weight, we are talking about a sheep.
If you like lamb and want some other ideas, then don’t miss the following recipes:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, Christmas
Ingredients
- 1.8 lbs lamb in pieces (shoulder or loin)
- 1 cup red onion
- 2 cups apple
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsps rum
- 2 tbsps raisins
- 2 tbsps pine nuts
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste pomegranate seeds for decoration only
Tools
- 1 Casserole
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Paper Towels
Preparation
Take the lamb out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking, so it reaches room temperature. This way, it won’t experience thermal shock when it contacts the hot casserole and will remain tender. Meanwhile, organize your workspace with all the necessary ingredients and tools to make your work easier. Chop the onion into small pieces, cube the apples into medium-sized pieces after peeling both. Now you 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 casserole, add the onion and apples, and sauté over high heat for about 1 minute. Add the lamb and brown it for a few minutes.
Season with salt and add the raisins, pine nuts, and rum to the casserole.
Without lowering the flame, pour in all the previously warmed orange juice, add the mustard, and mix well to dissolve. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes. If the cooking liquid dries up too soon, add a few tablespoons of hot water or more juice, but always boiling.
Serve our Lamb with Citrus and Mustard immediately, arranging it on a serving platter with all the cooking sauce. If desired, decorate with pomegranate seeds.
Tips
The lamb stew keeps for about three days in the refrigerator, but inside an airtight container.
You can prepare it in advance 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 to avoid small or severe food poisoning.
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 to avoid small or severe food poisoning.
