Sicilian Lamb Spezzatino With Saffron and Mint
- Total Time
- 1½ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4pounds lamb shoulder chops cut 2 inches thick
- Salt and pepper
- ¼cup olive oil
- 2cups diced red onion
- 4cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of saffron
- 2tablespoon tomato paste
- 1cup dry white wine
- 1cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
949 calories; 74 grams fat; 29 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 33 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 52 grams protein; 995 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season chops generously with salt and pepper. Put olive oil in a wide deep skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown lamb on both sides, then remove and set aside. Lower heat to medium, add onion to pan and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Stir garlic, saffron and tomato paste into onions and cook 1 minute. Add wine and simmer for 2 minutes, then return lamb to skillet. Add 4 cups water, just to cover meat, and bring to a boil. Put on lid, turn heat to low and simmer gently for about 45 minutes, until quite tender.
- Step 3
Remove lid and raise heat to a rapid simmer. Simmer until juices have reduced by nearly half and sauce has thickened somewhat (may be prepared ahead to this point). Taste and adjust seasoning. Just before serving, reheat and stir in chopped mint.
Private Notes
Comments
I found that adding a diced quarter or half of a preserved lemon provided some acidity that helped to cut through the fat, lighten the dish, and make it even more delicious, in a Sicilian-consistent way.
This was good, but the shoulder chops were quite fatty so I cooked this in two stages, over two days, so I could defat the sauce. In Step 2, I used homemade stock in place of the water, simmered for 10 or 15 minutes, refrigerated, defatted the next day and then finished the simmering. The meat was very tender, the sauce silky and full of flavor. Leftovers (we had lots) were good over bulgur pilav and (later, deboned) over egg noodles.
This was delicious for such a simple recipe (just 7 ingredients!). I followed the recipe to a T for the most part, adding a handful of chopped sundried tomatoes (very Sicilian) along with the garlic, saffron, etc. I also cooked it in my Instant Pot pressure cooker for just 17 minutes and while the meat fell off the bone, it was deeply flavorful and maintained great texture.
Found the flavors to be sharp so adjusted the sauce with cinnamon and a tsp of sugar.
Made this recipe almost as written and it was very good! Changes: I poured off some fat after browning the chops, used less red onion, added a little hot pepper in lieu of black, and omitted the mint. (I served it with a warm lentil salad, and I used some mint in that.) When the chops were done, I removed them from the liquid, defatted the liquid before reducing, then returned the chops to the pan to coat in the sauce before serving.
I had everything on hand except a suitable white wine. What to do? Used red instead! I may well add a little preserved lemon and a pinch of Aleppo pepper. Tonight I plan to serve it with Arab flatbread, tomorrow with fregola tostada.
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