A tangy fresh mint dressing brightens up tender, juicy lamb.
Slow Cooker Lamb Supper
Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pound) boneless lamb shoulder, trussed
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
- ½ pound bacon, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 5 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 leeks, sliced lengthwise and chopped
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon paste
- 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
- Lemon-Mint Dressing (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Sprinkle lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until crispy and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from skillet and let drain on paper towels; reserve drippings in skillet.
- To skillet, add onion. Cook until tender and beginning to brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker; add carrots, celery, and leeks.
- In same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add lamb, browning on all sides. Transfer to cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together water and bouillon paste. Deglaze pan with water mixture, scraping brown bits from pan. Pour into cooker.
- Cover and cook on high heat until fork tender, about 5 to 6 hours. Add potatoes in the last 2 hours of cooking and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with Lemon-Mint Dressing.
Lemon-Mint Dressing
Yields: 1 cup
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine mint, lemon juice, salt, pepper, mustard, and garlic; slowly whisk in olive oil. Cover until ready to serve, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Slow Cooker Lamb Supper: Dutch Oven Method
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pound) boneless lamb shoulder, trussed
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
- ½ pound bacon, chopped
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 stalks celery, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
- 3 leeks, sliced lengthwise and chopped
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon paste
- 6 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
- Lemon Mint Dressing (recipe precedes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Sprinkle lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and let drain on paper towels. Reserve drippings in pot.
- To pot, add oil. Add lamb, and cook over medium heat until browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pot.
- To pot, add onion, celery, and leeks, cooking until tender and beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups water and bouillon paste. Pour into pot, scraping browned bits from bottom of pot. Nestle lamb into onion mixture, and cover with lid.
- Bake until almost tender through the center, about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Arrange carrots and potatoes around lamb. Sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and remaining ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Continue baking, covered, until lamb, carrots, and potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes more. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with Lemon-Mint Dressing.
