Chef: Nena Ismyrnoglou
Prep: 30 minutes
Cooking: 3.5 hours
Ingredients
(serves 6)
• 2.5 kg lamb (leg and shoulder), cut into portion-sized pieces, bone-in
• 1 cup flour, for dredging
• 300 g onion, finely chopped
• 200 g pearl or shallot onions, peeled
• 150 g fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 liters meat stock or water
• 1 medium head lettuce, thinly sliced
• 200 g chard, thinly sliced
• 100 g spring onions, thinly sliced
• 100 g dill, finely chopped
• 50 ml lemon juice
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 150 ml olive oil
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Method
Season the meat with salt and pepper and lightly dredge it in flour. In a wide pot, heat half of the olive oil over high heat and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove it from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, add the fennel seeds and toast them for 1 minute, stirring. Add the remaining olive oil, the chopped onion, the pearl or shallot onions, the fennel bulb and the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to medium and saute for 4-5 minutes, until softened.
Return the browned lamb pieces to the pot, add the stock (or water), and season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for about 3 hours, or until the meat is so tender that the bone slips easily away from the flesh.
Add the lettuce, chard, spring onions, dill, and lemon juice, and season to taste with salt. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes, still over very low heat and with the pot covered, until the vegetables are tender and the dish has plenty of well-bound, flavorful broth.
This story first appeared in Kathimerini’s food supplement, Gastronomos.