20 mins
Five Hour Confit of Lamb
Recipe by Muriel Crillet
Five Hour Confit of Lamb is not just mouth-wateringly delicious, it's also the perfect main course when you are entertaining. Simply prepare the dish five hours in advance and leave it in the oven until you are ready to eat.
Like any confit, the long cooking renders all the fat from the meat so you end up with just succulent, juicy meat. Five Hour Confit of Lamb also, of course, has the massive benefit of leaving you free to prepare other foods while it cooks. It's a chef's dream come true both in terms of preparation and taste.
Fish Stock (Court Bouillon) 
Flank Steak With Cabrales Cheese Ingredients for Five Hour Confit of Lamb
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Five Hour Confit of Lamb
- Start by putting half of the herbs (rosemary, thyme and sage leaves) in a mortar with the "exotic" peppercorns (just try to find something a little more exciting than plain black peppercorns!) Add the curry powder and about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. With the pestle, crush the herbs well and mash them to reap the full flavour of their essential oils.
- Place the remaining herbs in a large Dutch Oven (cast iron cooking pot). Check the size of your lamb because, depending on the size of your pot, you may need to cut the bone at the tip. If so, don't throw away the cut off portion of bone; place it at the bottom of the pan to add more taste. Peel and chop the onions in quarters and add these to the pan, separate the cloves of garlic and add these to the pan (no need to peel them) along with the duck fat.
- Either on a griddle or in a large skillet, brown the lamb quickly on all sides. Then, using your hands, spread the herb paste over the whole joint, massaging it well to help the meat absorb the flavours. Place the lamb in the casserole on top of the herbs.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into rounds about ¼" (6mm) thick. Rinse them well to remove any excess starch then lay them in the pan, around and on top of the lamb. Season with sea salt and "exotic" pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
- Pour the Chardonnay over the whole ensemble, cover with a lid and cook in a preheated cool oven (Mk 1 - 275ºF - 140ºC) for 5 hours (you can safely forget about it until you need it!)
- Remove the roast from the pot and (keeping it warm) place it on a rack to drain for 10 minutes. Slice or simply rip the meat (it will be as tender as butter). Drain the potatoes in a colander and serve together with the lamb, a piece of onion and (if you have garlic fanatics amongst your guests) the garlic cloves, which will be soft and very tender inside their skins.
MURIEL CRILLET'S HOT TIP:
If you have true garlic fanatics amongst your guests you can (without peeling) cut both heads of garlic in two across the centre (horizontally). Add these to the pot instead of the uncut cloves and it will add more garlic taste to the dish.
Reviews of Five Hour Confit of Lamb
 December 31 2014Even impressed the mother in law for a change !!! Lamb just falls off the bone and melts in the mouth. So I risked it again yesterday evening when we had guests for a dinner party and it was absolutely delicious! It is really easy to prepare and I served it with dauphinoise potatoes and cabbage. The great thing with that combination apart from tasting superb was that I could spend time with my friends and a glass of wine and not be stuck in the kitchen! A foolproof recipe that I will definitely be doing again... might try red wine next time though! Naga (7 reviews) |
 July 22 2014Made this for Sunday lunch (but not keen on getting up at 6.30!) and had a smaller leg of lamb but kept all the rest of the ingredients the same quantity. The finished dish was excellent. Will do again, but have in the evening so I get a bit of a lay-in! Doucette (3 reviews) |
March 28 2014 With a leg of lamb approximately 2.5 kgs I fed 6 adults, 3 children and made a shepherds pie with the leftovers. The flavour of meat and sauce from this recipe is sublime. My guests have requested this dish again when they visit me this coming Easter. I'll be happy to oblige! alexis (6 reviews) |
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| August 09 2013 Absolutely delicious, I had a 2kg leg and cooked the lamb for 5 hours and it was the best slow roasted lamb I've cooked. Fell off the bone and the flavour was perfect. Went down a storm! Thx wefar (3 reviews) |
December 20 2012 Outstanding! Shoved it all in the oven and it was amazing 5 hours later. No work, no fuss and soooo tender! If I could change one thing though I think that the sauce could benefit from being a bit thicker, so I will try adding a small amount of a butter and flour roux just before serving next time. dantheman (19 reviews) |
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