French · Main
Gigot de Sept Heures
Seven-hour leg of lamb larded with anchovy and garlic until it's carved with a spoon — set it going at breakfast, forget it until dinner
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 420 min
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- Leg of lamb, bone-in — 1 (about 2.5 kg)
- Anchovy fillets — 8 (30 g)
- Garlic — 40 g (half slivered, half crushed)
- Olive oil — 40 ml
- Fine salt — 20 g; black pepper 3 g
- Dry white wine — 500 ml
- Brown stock — 500 ml
- Carrots, chunks — 300 g
- Onions, chunks — 300 g
- Tomatoes, chopped — 200 g
- Rosemary — 2 sprigs; thyme 6 sprigs; bay 2
Method
- Pierce the leg 16 times; push in garlic slivers and half-anchovy pieces. Rub with oil, salt and pepper.
- Brown the leg all over in a huge cocotte (or a deep roasting tray on the hob), 12 min.
- Remove; soften carrots, onions and crushed garlic 6 min. Add wine, reduce by half; add stock, tomatoes, remaining anchovies and herbs.
- Return the leg; the liquid should reach a third of the way up.
- Cover tightly (foil plus lid); braise at 120 °C for 7 h, turning the leg twice.
- Rest the leg covered; strain the juices, degrease, and reduce to a light sauce; season.
- Serve with a spoon — the meat should have surrendered completely.