Honey-Glazed Lamb with Red Cabbage Confit

Today we welcome Carmen as a contributor, author of the food blog Yerbabuena en la Cocina. Her first idea will definitely make you take note, because you will surely see in this recipe a fantastic idea to delight the guests at the next family meal. Don’t miss this honey lamb, which Carmen serves with red cabbage preserve to treat everyone to a well-rounded dish.

Although I enjoy traveling more and more and getting to know the culture of the countries I visit through their cuisine, the traditional recipes that have always been part of our heritage have become a real pleasure for me when it comes to putting on my apron in my day-to-day life.

Lamb is one of the most flavorful and tender meats in our cuisine; culturally, it has accompanied the history of humankind for 9,000 years, and depending on where it comes from, it has all kinds of different and varied flavors. This recipe comes from the Arab world, which was established in our country for centuries; hence the many nuances typical of this culture’s cuisine.

In my home, lamb has always been linked to family celebrations. Since I was a child, I remember my mother when these dates came around, thinking about the menu she would prepare for Christmas, where lamb could never be missing, a true delicacy in her hands, which she prepared in a thousand different ways for my siblings and me to enjoy.

So when Claudia and Julia asked me to collaborate with them, the first thing that came to mind was my mother’s cooking and the gentle simmer of all her stews, and what better than a Cocotte Le Creuset to achieve that gentle simmer and those tender, flavorful meats cooked slowly over low heat?

With it I have gone back to my roots, I have rediscovered a new world where cast iron is the star in my kitchen, which is why I love cooking withthe Le Creuset casseroles, I like their design, how they transfer heat to stews by distributing it evenly and consistently, their versatility since they work on all types of heat sources, including the oven, and they are also dishwasher and freezer safe. In short… after all, they have been manufactured for more than 80 years. Are you going to miss out on them?

Ingredients: (for 4 people)

For the honey lamb:

• Milk-fed lamb legs cut into pieces
• 2 Onions
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 Carrot
• 200 ml White wine
• Water
• 50 g. Rosemary honey
• Flour for coating
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh rosemary
• Thyme

For the red cabbage preserve:

• ½ Small red cabbage
• 75 g. Brown sugar
• 50 g. Butter
• 50 ml. Vinegar

Preparation:

Season the lamb with salt and pepper and coat it in flour, shaking off the excess. Put the casserole on the heat and add a little extra virgin olive oil; when it starts to smoke, add the lamb, turning it so it browns evenly on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Cut the onions, garlic, and carrot into brunoise, and sauté in the meat fat until you see they have softened and started to take on color. Add the white wine and let it reduce for a few minutes.

Then add the lamb, rosemary, thyme, and enough water to cover everything, and let it cook over low heat for around 30 minutes, depending on how tough the meat is. In my case, since it was milk-fed lamb, it didn’t need any more time, but if that weren’t the case, we would leave it a few more minutes, cooking it slowly and adding a little water if needed.

After this time, add the rosemary honey and vinegar, and let it cook for a few minutes so all the flavors blend well.

Cut the red cabbage into very thin strips with a mandoline, and sauté it in a pan over low heat with the butter for several minutes. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, and a splash of water, and let it cook slowly until it softens and becomes a kind of preserve.

Serve the lamb with the red cabbage and some boiled or roasted potatoes with an aromatic herb.