Lamb with Spring Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C.

Take the lamb out of the fridge so it can come to room temperature.

It’s best to prepare the fava beans now, but if you’re short time, you can get the lamb started and add the fava beans to the braise midway–I’ve done that. But for now, let’s prep the fava beans first.

Put a small pot of water on the stove to heat up–low heat is fine.

Pod the beans into a bowl. Once they’re all podded, bring the water to a gentle boil and drop the beans in. Let them simmer for three minutes, and fish a large one out with a slotted spoon. Cool the bean under running water, and test it with a fingernail. If you can pierce the skin easily with your nail, turn off heat and remove the rest the beans, spooning them back into the podding bowl.

Save the water for prepping your artichokes.

While the beans cool, get on with trimming the artichokes. You will need either a little vinegar or lemon juice. I prefer lemon, as the flavor harmonizes with the lamb dish.

If you prefer not to dirty another dish, you can toss the trimmed chokes directly into the pot. Or carefully pour the now-warm water into a clean bowl. Either way, squeeze a goodly amount of lemon juice (or pour about a tablespoon white wine vinegar) into the water–say, half a lemon. If you have sensitive skin or any cuts, you may want to wear gloves.

Break off the outer leaves of the artichokes until you reach the smooth, pale green inner leaves. If your artichokes have long stems, leave them on. Peel them, as you would a carrot, and trim the bottom. Saw off the artichoke’s pointy top with a serrated knife. Toss the now-trimmed artichoke into the lemony water.

Once all the artichokes are trimmed, leave them soaking. They may brown a bit, which is fine, as you will be cooking them. Turn to your now-cooled fava beans. You can either peel them into a pile or use another bowl. Either way, peel them, and as every recipe says, set aside.

You’ll need a oven-safe pot large enough to hold the lamb and vegetables in one layer. Lidded is ideal, but you can always use foil.

Place the pan on a burner, and pour in enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom. Heat to medium.

Add the spring onion, garlic, and shallot. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes. If anything appears to be burning or browning too rapidly, turn the heat down.

Lay the chops in the pan. Add the tomato paste and pour over canned tomato sauce.

Arrange the fava beans and artichokes around the lamb. Season with fennel seed, if using. Add salt, pepper, and optional sumac or preserved lemon. Add dash of wine, if using.

Cover pan with lid or tinfoil. Using oven mitts, place pan in oven and cook for 45 minutes, check lamb at 30 minute mark for liquid and doneness.

Lamb is done when tender and pink–but not raw.

Serve with green salad, if wished, yogurt, rice, and flatbreads.

The dish will improve if refrigerated, well-wrapped, up to three days.

The lamb may be frozen up to two months. While the vegetables may be frozen, they will suffer loss of texture and flavor.

Notes:

It’s difficult to give weights for vegetables, as they grow to the sizes they are; buy what you think your family will eat.

As noted above, if fava beans and artichokes are unavailable, other vegetables may be used; consider green beans, wax beans, zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, fresh or frozen peas, even canned tomatoes.

Any cut of lamb will work here, but larger, bone-in cuts like shoulder and shank will require longer cooking times. To avoid a tough exterior, turn the oven down 25 degrees.

As sumac and preserved lemon are both souring agents, don’t use both to season the dish–choose one or the other.