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Braised Lamb Shoulder with Fennel and Orange

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Peden + Munk

Lamb shoulder has great fat content and rich (not gamey) flavor, which makes it ideal for this sweetly spiced, Mediterranean-inspired braise.

Ingredients

8 Servings

3

pounds boneless lamb shoulder, fat trimmed, cut into 8 pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2

tablespoons olive oil

1

fennel bulb, coarsely chopped

1

medium onion, coarsely chopped

1

head of garlic, halved crosswise

1

cup dry white wine

1

orange (with peel), cut into pieces

2

bay leaves

1

cinnamon stick

1

14.5-oz. can peeled whole tomatoes

3

cups low-sodium chicken broth

2

tablespoons pomegranate molasses (optional)

Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki (click for recipe) and Three-Herb and Red Onion Salad (for serving; click for recipe)

Westward Pita Bread (click for recipe) or store-bought pita bread

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325°. Pat lamb dry; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook lamb, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6–8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

    Step 2

    Add fennel, onion, and garlic to same pot and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and softened, 6–8 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, 6–8 minutes.

    Step 3

    Add orange, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, and broth along with lamb to pot. Bring to a simmer, cover pot, and transfer to oven. Braise until lamb is fork-tender, 1½–2 hours. Transfer lamb to a clean plate.

    Step 4

    Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; return to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick and velvety, 20–30 minutes.

    Step 5

    Stir in pomegranate molasses, if using, and return lamb to pot and cook, stirring to coat, until heated through. Serve lamb with Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki, Three-Herb and Red Onion Salad, and Westward Pita Bread.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 350 Fat (g) 14 Saturated Fat (g) 4.5 Cholesterol (mg) 105 Carbohydrates (g) 12 Dietary Fiber (g) 2 Total Sugars (g) 6 Protein (g) 37 Sodium (mg) 290
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  • This was so phenomenal! I doubled the recipe and made it for a dinner party. Those who had never had lamb even loved it. I omitted the molasses, tzatziki, and pita so it would go better with the holiday theme. I used the meat of the zested oranges to make a quick orange-fennel frond-hemp seed salad thing. The sweet acidity was a nice break from the heavy holiday meal. DON'T THROW AWAY THE LEFTOVER BRAISING LIQUID! The next day I simmed some cannellini beans (1 can + bean liquid) in it (with nice little lamb bits still residing in the sauce) till everything was nice and thick. Off the heat I threw in a handful of chopped flat leaf parsley. That was almost as good as the lamb!

    • DarrahP

    • State College, PA

    • 12/19/2018