7 hour lamb is a French traditional recipe of a leg of lamb, slowly roasted for hours, with plenty of garlic and herbs until it’s so tender that you could cut it with a spoon. This recipe has cut the time of slow-braising a leg of lamb to 4-hours, without sacrificing tenderness and there is plenty of flavor. The dish is served with Provencal French beans around the finished lamb and makes a beautiful presentation. While this is a perfect fall recipe, it’s a great alternative for Easter dinner.
Hello, Fall! Welcome. I really mean it. My pressure cooker and slow cooker are ready for soups and stews. Bring on the root vegetables, squash and bread baking! So with that said, I present to you my first offering of a delicious way to prepare lamb. I know, I know…. some of you don’t like lamb. Neither does my husband. Stick with me, and I will show you how my husband changed his mind.
I caught this episode on the Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa show. This recipe was adapted by Ina Garten from a traditional French 7-Hour Lamb. However, Ina says that she tested the recipe a few times and found that 4-hours was the perfect time to braise a leg of lamb in white wine, lots of garlic and herbs– the end result being tender meat that can literally be removed with a spoon. I was drooling while watching Ina spooning mounds of Provencal French Beans around the finished lamb. That was it! I was inspired to make this. The very next day, I bought a leg of lamb at Whole Foods–
The butcher was kind enough to cut a leg of lamb to 3 pounds. This is New Zealand Lamb… grass fed. $21.00 might seem pricey, but this will feed at least 8 people. Here we go:
Season the lamb with coarse salt & fresh cracked pepper. Now for lots of fresh garlic, thyme and rosemary…
After reading the reviews from folks who made this, some said that “it lacked flavor”. I used a LOT of garlic, and then I decided to add one onion to flavor the braising liquid. Think that will work?
Add white wine to deglaze all that tasty brown stuff. Ina adds water, but I added homemade chicken stock, into the Dutch oven.. Now, add the herbs, garlic and onion…add the lamb and cover. Place into a 300F oven and let it cook for 3 hours. Next, make the beans (which I soaked the night before):
Rinse Northern White Beans and prepare a mire poix (chopped carrots, onion and celery). Next, I add fresh parsley, thyme, garlic and rosemary. I added more chicken stock and simmered the beans for more than Ina says she did– like over an hour. How’s the lamb doing?
Braised 4-Hour Lamb & Provencal French Beans
Ingredients
- 1 6 to7-pound leg of lamb (see note)
- olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock or water
- 2 heads garlic broken apart but not peeled
- 15 large sprigs fresh rosemary
- 15 large sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 onion peeled and cut in half (my adaptation, to add more flavor to the broth)
- 6 bay leaves
BEANS:
- 14 ounces dried Great Northern beans
- 1 quart homemade chicken stock or canned broth
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 2 cups yellow onions chopped
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme minced
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until its hot. Add the lamb and sear on all sides for about 12 minutes, until its browned all over. Remove the lamb to a plate.
- Add the wine and 2 cups of water to the pan and cook for a minute or two, scraping up all the brown bits in the bottom. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves and the lamb on top. Place the lid on the pot and bake in the oven for 4 hours, basting occasionally. (If you don’t have a lid, you can cover it tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil.)
- After 4 hours, the lamb should be incredibly tender and falling off the bone. Remove the lamb to a plate, cover it tightly with foil and allow it to rest. Strain the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce.
- The lamb will be too tender to slice; serve it warm with spoons and the sauce.
- Note:
- Before you buy the lamb, measure the diameter of your pot. If the lamb is longer than your pot, ask the butcher to cut off the shank end of the lamb and cook both pieces together in the same pot.
Beans:
- Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak in the refrigerator overnight.
- Drain the beans, place in a large saucepan with the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes*, until tender but not mushy. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving the stock.
- Note:
- I found that I needed to cook the beans for 1 1/2 hours, because they were a little too firm for my own personal liking. Adjust cooking time to your own personal taste.
- In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil, then add the onions, diced carrots, and celery, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Add the parsley, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the beans and 2 cups of the cooking stock. (If you dont have enough liquid, add additional stock or water to make 2 cups.) Cook for 15 minutes until the stock makes a little sauce, adding more stock if necessary.
- Finish with the Parmesan cheese. Serve with a garnish of chopped parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Deb,
This has my vote!
I am not a big lamb fan, except for braised lamb shank, but you can easily change my mind!
Love the beans with the Provencal flavors! Beautiful fall dish!
I knew you would turn over to the dark side eventually 😛 This lamb looks fantastic! I love a good lamb roast…nothing quite like it.
You cannot go wrong with an Ina recipe and this one would even get me to try lamb again. It looks fabulous!
Now that is a bowl of deliciousness!
I often say it that you can never go wrong with Ina:D The lamb seems to melt right off the bone.
I LOVE lamb and can't wait to try this recipe. Ina's recipes are always wonderful and your presentation is beautiful, Debby. What a wonderful fall dish.
This looks like a winner! As long as you used the "good" olive oil…and you did, right? 🙂
I saw this one on her show and remembered salivating. So glad you broke it down and put in your own flare. Little lammy here I come!
Brava, Debby–looks scrumptious. I <3 Ina Garten!
Okay…. that looks so incredibly and beautiful tender! This has been bookmarked, thanks for sharing!
Great blog!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
What a lovely dish. Ina's recipes are the best!
I just saw Ina make this on her show last weekend and I have it in the oven as I type this. 4PM can't come fast enough! Thanks so much on the tips to make it tastier!
So, did it roast for 3 or for 4 hours? I also have a three pound leg and wondered if it should still roast at 300 for 4 hours.
Mine was done in just a tad over three hours. I always use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
can I make this on Sat. to serve on Sunday. ;How to reheat?
I have no idea since I’m not a fan of doing that, so I’m sorry I don’t have any experience to give you honest advice in that respect.
Can beans be made ahead? Do you have to use lamb sauce for beans or another option