The Catalan TableIngredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- Lamb shoulders
- 4 milk-fed lamb shoulders
- 2 onions
- 1 cabegarlic cloves
- 2 carrot
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 1 leek
- beech mushroom
- butter
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black peppercorns
- konjac
- mineral water
- flour
- 10 mlwhite wine
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Approx.)
Calories
403 kcal
Protein
29 g
Fat
22 g
Carbohydrates
24 g
Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.
Step-by-step Guide
If desired, this part can be done 2 days in advance
- Cut the onions and carrots into cubes approximately 2 cm on each side.
- Place them in a saucepan with olive oil and butter, along with the unpeeled garlic cloves, slightly crushed, over medium heat.
- Add salt and let it confit over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are transparent and tender.
- Meanwhile, blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. Cool them in ice water, peel them, and remove the seeds.
- Cut the tomatoes into cubes approximately 2 cm.
- When the onions are caramelized, add the tomato to the pot and let it cook on low heat for about 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add a dash of wine or cognac and let it cook for a few more minutes on medium heat to slightly reduce the liquid.
- Transfer the sofrito to a deep baking tray. Place the previously salted lamb shoulders on top and add mineral water until the level reaches halfway up the lamb shoulders.
- Cover the baking tray as tightly as possible with aluminum foil, ensuring not to cover the bottom of the tray, as you will need to uncover it every hour to turn the lamb shoulders.
- Let it cook in the oven at 80ºC for 10 hours. Every hour, turn the lamb shoulders to ensure even cooking.
- After 10 hours have passed, allow the shoulder cuts to cool slightly and, while they are still warm but manageable, debone them.
- Reserve the cooking juice along with all the ingredients and the shoulder bones.
- Once deboned, wrap each shoulder individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours to optimize flavor and texture.
If we want, we can do this part the day before
- To make the sauce, place the cooking juice of the shoulders in a saucepan along with all the ingredients, including the shoulder bones and a tablespoon of flour. Stir well to completely dissolve the flour and integrate it with the juice.
- Next, add the white wine and let the mixture cook over medium heat until the alcohol evaporates, approximately 5-7 minutes. Once evaporated, add bottled water until all ingredients are covered and let it simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the cooking time is finished, remove the bones from the pot to make the blending process easier.
- Use a hand blender to blend the sauce until it is very smooth. Then, pass it through a chinois to ensure the sauce is lump-free and remains smooth and homogeneous.
- If you want the sauce to have a bit of shine, cook it a few moments longer on low heat with a knob of butter, until it melts and incorporates. Once done, set the sauce aside for the meal day.
Rissolled Potatoes
- On the day of consumption, prepare the potatoes for the side dish.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick cubes about 3 or 4 cm thick. Round them off to form cylinders. To make them more appealing, polish the sharp edges until achieving a regular shape.
- Place the potato cubes in a cold pan with a good chunk of butter, salt, pepper, and a sprig of rosemary (you can use rosemary needles, but they are harder to remove later; however, rosemary leaves are more commonly available).
- Cover the potatoes with water up to 3/4 of their height.
- Allow them to boil over medium heat until the water reduces to half their height. Then, turn the potatoes to cook on the other side, ensuring they are cooked evenly.
- Continue cooking until all the water evaporates and the potatoes begin to toast in the residual butter, achieving a golden and crispy tone.
- Remove the potatoes from the pan and clean the pan to remove any burnt residues.
- Just before serving the dishes, place the pan on the heat with a little more butter and finish browning the potatoes for about 5 minutes until they are well golden.
Finish Preparing and Cooking the Meat
- Unwrap the lamb shoulders and place them in a baking tray with a bit of oil. Ensure the shoulders are well coated with oil to facilitate browning. Preheat the oven to 200 ºC and cook the shoulders for 15 minutes, or until the lamb has a golden color and a slightly crispy skin.
- Heat the sauce over medium heat in a small saucepan until it slightly boils. Stir occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick or burn.
- Use a plating ring to place a shredded shoulder in the center of each plate. Add some potatoes around the meat and, just before serving, pour the hot sauce over, making sure it covers the lamb and potatoes well.
Recommendations & Tricks
- Prepare the lamb shoulders two days before the final cooking: marinate them with olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped garlic, and a sprig of rosemary or thyme; let them rest in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.
- The day before the meal, cook the shoulders in the oven at 100°C for 3-4 hours, ensuring to turn them halfway through so they cook evenly.
- Remove the shoulders from the oven and let them cool completely before storing them in the fridge, covered. This will enhance the flavors.
- On the same day, slice the onion and carrot thinly and sauté them in a pan with butter until golden but still crisp. Save them for reheating.
- About 20 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 200°C, place the shoulders on a tray, add the onion and carrot mixture, and heat until they are hot and have a golden crust.
- Boil small potatoes with the skin on until tender, then brown them with butter and a bit of rosemary. Serve them as a side to complement the lamb shoulder.
- For a fresh touch, serve the dish with a sauce made of crushed ripe tomatoes, slightly evaporated over heat, finished with a tablespoon of olive oil and herbs.