thefoodlessprocessed

“Boulangère, à la: Oven-baked dishes, usually lamb…(originally cooked in the baker’s oven, hence the term)…At one time using the public oven was a common practice in Europe and America…before domestic ovens became universal.” from Larousse Gastronomique (2009 edition).

Lamb prepared à la boulangère is placed on a bed of sliced potatoes. Stock is added and the whole is placed in a very slow oven for several hours. The dish combines roasting and baking in a way that is mutually beneficial to its simple basic parts–drippings from the lamb seasoning the potatoes, and the potatoes’ moisture guarding the lamb’s natural juices.

The less processed ingredient options are explained in the following links : Lamb, Olive Oil, Vegetables, Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Thyme, and Vegetable Stock.

Equipment

• a Large Heavy Pan with High Sides and a Lid. This recipe is made with a 12-inch (30.5 cm) Cast Iron Chicken Fryer with a 4.25 quart capacity (about 4 liters). A close European equivalent is a Sauteuse Haute, which has high sides and a long handle. It is deeper than a regular sauté pan.
• Kitchen Twine
• a Roasting Pan
• Aluminum Foil
• a Cutting/Carving Board and Kitchen Knife and Carving Knife

Ingredients

• a 2-Pound (or 1 kg) Bone-in Half Leg of Lamb, sirloin (topside) end: This is the larger, leaner, more uniform portion and will roast more evenly and slice more cleanly than the shank end. A boneless leg of lamb will serve equally well.
• 2 Sprigs of Organic Fresh Rosemary
• 4 Stems of Organic Fresh Thyme
• at least 4 Large Garlic Cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed: Each serving will include 1 roasted clove, peeled. They are very nice with the lamb and one might want to roast more than 4 cloves and serve more than one to each person.
• 1 teaspoon of Coarsely Ground Black Pepper, plus more for the potatoes
• 3 pounds (1.36 kg) of Russet Potatoes or any variety with a dry texture
• 1 Tablespoon of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Homemade Vegetable Stock: The amount of stock depends on the surface area of the roasting pan. There should be enough stock to cover the potatoes about halfway, plus a little more to add at the end when the roast and potatoes are briefly browned. The foodlessprocessed recipe for the stock is here: Vegetable Stock.

Preparing the Lamb and Potatoes for the Oven and Preheating the Oven

Gas or Convection Oven:  thefoodlessprocessed uses a gas oven. The conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius do not attempt to adjust for differences between baking in a gas or convection oven. I have no experience using a convection oven, and leave adjustments to the better judgement of you who do have.

• Preheat the oven to 275 F/ 135 C.
• If using a cast iron pan, preheat it on a burner over very low heat.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick rounds. The precise thickness is not important.
• Trim most of the outer fat layer from the lamb and reserve it.
• If the lamb is not tied or netted, tie it both lengthwise and crosswise with kitchen twine.
• Strip the leaves from 2 stems of thyme and 1 sprig of rosemary. Chop them together. Make a little pile of them on the cutting board and mix with the teaspoon of black pepper.
• Roll the lamb in the herb and pepper mixture.
• Put the trimmed fat in the preheated pan and begin to render it. Add the tablespoon of olive oil.
• Place the lamb in the pan. Keeping the heat at medium to medium low, brown it lightly on all sides. Transfer it to a plate.
• Add the potatoes to the pan and sauté them briefly. They will brown here and there, but the main point is to baste and flavour them with the rendered fat.
• Arrange the potatoes in a layer in the roasting pan. Sprinkle them with coarse black pepper and dthe leaves from 2 stems of thyme, and add a sprig of rosemary to the pan. Scatter the garlic cloves here and there over the potatoes.
• Place the lamb atop the potatoes.

• Pour in stock to come about halfway up the potatoes.
• Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil.

Roasting the Lamb and Potatoes

• Place the pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and roast the lamb and potatoes for about 3 hours, turning the lamb once halfway through.
• The lamb is done when a skewer pierces through it easily.
• Remove the lamb from the oven.

Finishing the Lamb before Serving

Note: If the lamb is done a little early, keep it covered and delay finishing until just before serving.

• Increase the oven temperature to 400 F/200 C.
• Uncover the roasting pan. Add a little stock to the potatoes and lamb just to insure they remain moist.
• Return the lamb and potatoes to the oven to brown briefly. 5 minutes may be sufficient.
• Remove the twine and carve the lamb.
• To serve, arrange lamb, potatoes and 1 or 2 peeled cloves of the roasted garlic on each plate.