ALL RECIPES

Pomegranate Braised Lamb & Mushroom Ragout with Pumpkin Polenta

Serving Size
8-10

|

Total Time
4 hours
Braised Lamb Shanks Ingredients
  • 4 each 1 lb. lamb shanks
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 3 peeled carrots
  • 3 ribs of celery
  • 1 each onion cut in quarters
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 4 cups of chicken stock
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1.5 cups pomegranate juice
  • 1 each bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns
Braised Lamb Shanks Technique
  1. Preheat oven to 250F
  2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil
  3. Season shanks to taste with salt and pepper and once oil is hot brown on all sides
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer
  5. Cover tightly and place in the oven for approx. 2.5-3 hours, flipping the shanks once during the cooking time. Remove from oven when the meat falls off the bone tender.
  6. Allow resting at room temperature until cool enough to handle approx. 45 minutes. While wearing gloves remove shanks from the liquid and pick the meat off of the bone.
  7. Once the meat is picked, strain the liquid and separately cool the meat and sauce down in the fridge overnight.
Pomegranate Braised Sonoma County Lamb and Mushroom Ragout with Pumpkin Polenta, Kale Salsa Verde and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Lamb Shank and Mushroom Ragout Ingredients
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • ½ cup of finely diced onions
  • ½ cup of finely diced carrots
  • ½ cup of finely diced celery
  • 1.5 lbs of wild mushrooms
  • ½ cup of tomato paste
  • Reserved braising liquid
  • Reserved lamb meat
Lamb Shank and Mushroom Ragout Technique
  1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat
  2. Sweat onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat until soft
  3. Add mushrooms and cook until soft and begin to push out their liquid
  4. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until it turns brickish in color
  5. Skim fat from the top of reserved braising liquid and add to pan reduce by ½ and add the reserved meat
  6. Let simmer slowly until meat is hot and begins to shred
  7. Season to taste with salt and pepper
  8. Reserve warm
Pumpkin Polenta, Kale Salsa Verde & Spiced Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients

Pumpkin Polenta

  • 3/4 cup of dry polenta
  • 2 ¼ cups of chicken stock
  • 2 ¼ cups of whole milk
  • 1 each 15oz can of pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup of mascarpone
  • 3 Tablespoons of butter

Kale Salsa Verde

  • ¼ cup of blanched and shocked kale
  • ¼ cup of chopped parsley
  • ½ teaspoon of minced garlic
  • 5 teaspoons of chopped capers
  • ½ teaspoon of lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon of lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon of red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup of olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

  • ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of chili powder
Pumpkin Polenta, Kale Salsa Verde & Spiced Pumpkin Seeds Technique

Pumpkin Polenta

  1. While finishing ragout cook polenta
  2. Add liquids to saucepan and bring to a boil
  3. Once boiling whisk in dry polenta and cook for approx. 30 minutes, stirring frequently, or until polenta is thickened and not grainy in texture
  4. Turn off the heat and whisk in butter and mascarpone
  5. Season to taste with salt and reserve warm

Kale Salsa Verde

  1. Add all ingredients except salt to a blender
  2. Blend on high until smooth
  3. Season to taste with salt

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

  1. Preheat oven to 300F
  2. Toss nuts with salt and chili powder
  3. Toast for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant
  4. Let cool to room temperature
  5. Once cool give nuts a rough chop

Assembly

  • Spoon polenta into a bowl
  • Top with lamb and mushroom ragout
  • Spoon salsa verde over and around the ragout
  • Sprinkle chopped seeds on top and serve
Executive Chef Peter Janiak

Executive Chef Peter Janiak

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