St. Patrick's Day: Braised Local Lamb Shoulder with Olive Jus and Gremolata

Ingredients

1 boneless lamb shoulder, approx 8#
1 large carrot
1 large onion
3 celery stalks
1 leek
2 heads garlic, split
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ a bottle red wine
3 quarts chicken stock
1 bunch Thyme
1 bay leaf
½ a bunch marjoram
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 cup Nicoise olives, pitted
Maldon sea salt to taste

Gremolata
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, zested. Save lemons for another purpose.
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch chives, minced
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
½ bunch marjoram, chopped

Method

Gremolata
Combine the cleaned and chopped herbs with the lemon zest and minced garlic in a bowl. Add the olive oil and mix. There should be enough oil so that the other ingredients are floating in it. This can be made up to 3 days ahead. If the herbs, lemon, and garlic are all submerged in the oil it will keep. When ready to use the Gremolata gently warm it in a small pot. You want to heat it to take the edge off the raw garlic, but do not boil it or the herbs will turn color.

Braising the lamb shoulder
Cut away large chunks of exterior fat. Separate into large muscle groups. Cut out any glands or tough cartilage. Leave the interior fat and portion into 5-6 ounce pieces. You should get at least one piece per guest. You will have some smaller pieces as well that can be plated together to make a portion. Season the lamb shoulder with salt and pepper. Sear in a large pot with grapeseed oil; remove lamb from the pan once nicely browned. Drain off oil. Add new oil and sauté carrots, leeks, celery, onions, and garlic for 5 minutes until browned. Add tomato paste and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Add red wine and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ cup of the olives to the braising liquid. Make a sachet (using cheese cloth and twine to tie up the herbs and spices), that includes thyme, marjoram, bay leaf, and black peppercorns, and add it to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and place in a 325 degree oven. Braise the lamb for approx 3-4 hours, until very tender. Once the lamb is tender remove it from the oven. Pull out 2 cups of the braising liquid, straining out any vegetables and olives. Reduce the liquid by ½ to ¾ depending on your preference to make the jus. At this point you can either serve the lamb immediately by placing the portions of lamb onto a serving platter and garnishing with the jus, a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt, the pitted olives, and the Gremolata or you can refrigerate the lamb to reheat and serve later. To store the lamb for later use, transfer the pieces of lamb to a container that will hold them flat and strain the liquid over the lamb, discarding the vegetables and herb sachet. Cool in the refrigerator uncovered until cool and then wrap with plastic wrap or a tight fitting lid.