I love cooking with local lamb in the fall and winter when the weather cools down. I find it so comforting and satisfying, especially when served with stewed lentils and root vegetables. For our featured dish, I've prepared lamb shoulder two ways: as a sausage and as a slow-cooked shoulder chop. This dish has cultural influences from France and Northwest Africa and uses some of my favourite ingredients sourced from Vancouver Island. The spice and aromatics help cut into the richness of the dish, and the lemon gives it a mouth-watering pop. –CHEF SAM HARRIS OF CANOE BREWPUB
This is a hearty dish, best started the day before and enjoyed as a dinner (perhaps after a nice long hike or paddle).
Instructions
Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder
Ingredients
2.2 lb boneless lamb shoulder, netted or tied
2½ tsp salt
¾ cup duck fat
1 sprig rosemary
10 black peppercorns
1 sprig thyme
1 lemon zest, juice reserved
Method
Rub lamb shoulder with salt and combine with all other ingredients in a vacuum bag and seal tightly. Preferably, cook sous vide in an immersion circulator at 160°F for 24 hours. Remove from vacuum bag and carefully remove netting or string. Slice and serve immediately. If you do not have an immersion circulator, braise the lamb shoulder with 4 cups of stock in your slow cooker on low heat for 8–24 hours (the longer the better).
Merguez Lamb Sausages
Ingredients
1 lb coarse ground lamb shoulder
2 tsp paprika
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
1 Tbsp harissa paste
¼ cup water
Method
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Case sausages or form into 8–12 sausage patties.
Local Lentil Cassoulet
Ingredients
2 cups lentils, cooked in salted water until just tender
1 large carrot, cut into one-inch pieces
5 small turnips, cut into quarters
1 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, sliced
6 thick-cut slices of bacon, cut into small strips or lardons
¼ pound butter
2 cups lamb or other stock (chicken, beef, vegetable)
Merguez lamb sausages or sausage patties
1 cup bread crumbs
10 sprigs thyme
2 tsp salt
Method
Cook lentils in six cups of salted water until just tender; strain and set aside.
Melt butter in a large casserole or skillet and gently sear sausages until lightly browned. Remove sausages from casserole and add bacon, carrot, onion, garlic and turnip and cook over medium heat for 5–10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Add cooked lentils, sausages, thyme stock and salt and stir to mix all components. Top with breadcrumbs, cover and bake at 350°F for one hour.
Plating Garnish
mint
chives
parsle
lemon juice
To serve, place a bed of lentil cassoulet on each plate. Top with sliced lamb and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and herbs.
