Roman-Style Spring Lamb With Fresh Sugar Snap Pea Salad

By Kim Severson

Total Time: 1½ hours
Rating: 4(120)
Notes: Read community notes

The Romans make a classic dish in the spring with very young milk-fed lamb. Such meat is hard to find in American supermarkets, but the technique, which involves a short braise in vinegar and water with a boost of anchovy at the end, works fine with chunks of lamb cut from a leg or roast of any young lamb. This recipe is built on the precise technique for abbacchio alla cacciatora that Marcella Hazan offered in "The Classic Italian Cookbook," with some freshening up. The braised chunks of meat are topped with a crunchy sugar snap pea salad that carries the heat of Calabria peppers, a recipe from Whitney Otawka, who grew up in California and now cooks in Georgia. (The salad is a great stand-alone recipe, too, and one that would be terrific alongside a ham, if yours is an Easter ham family.)

Featured in: Ham or Lamb? The Easter Choice May Be Changing

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

1teaspoon salt
½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3pounds young lamb from the shoulder or the leg, cut into uniform 2-inch chunks
2tablespoons cooking fat, preferably lard or olive oil
1tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1teaspoon chopped garlic
2teaspoons flour
½cup white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
4large anchovy fillets, chopped
3cups sugar snap pea salad with Calabrian pepper and fennel (see recipe), omitting the pecorino Romano

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the lamb cubes, tossing a few times to distribute it evenly. Heat the fat in a large, sturdy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the pieces of lamb, working in batches if needed so the meat is not crowded in the pan.
Step 2
Reduce heat to medium and return all the meat and any juices to the pan. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook for another minute or so, turning the meat. Sift the flour over the meat, and turn again so the flour is absorbed. This should take just another minute or so. Add the vinegar and bring it to a boil, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add ½ cup water, then lower the heat so the liquid barely simmers and then cover the pan.
Step 3
Cook for an hour, or until the meat is very tender, turning it every once in a while. Add a few tablespoons of water if the sauce is too thick or the meat is beginning to stick to the pan.
Step 4
Mash the anchovies in a small bowl. Take about ⅓ cup of the sauce and mix it well with the anchovies. Add the mixture back to the meat, stirring briefly so the meat is well coated. Put the meat on a platter and arrange the pea salad across the top. Or, divide into 6 servings and top each with ½ cup of the salad.

Ratings

4 out of 5

120 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Chris B6 years ago

This looks excellent. Trader Joe's (am I allowed to say?) sells young boned New Zealand lamb leg that would work nicely for this.

Much too early of course for local peas, snap or otherwise. Thoughts on early local greens that might work instead?

kristine6 years ago

This was excellent. For the salad I added thinly sliced yellow and red bell pepper. I also used snow peas rather than the snap (the snaps looked pretty sad in the grocery store). I did thinly slice the fennel as well. I feel like you could use a mix of any crunchy, sweet veggies for this salad.

Max Alexander, Rome, MasterChef Italia1 year ago

Most Romans cook abbacchio in the oven, in a wide terracotta casserole, turning once halfway through and adding a glass of white wine after the turn. The meat is coated in flour from the start, the anchovy oil added near the end. If you’re looking for authenticity, serve that pea salad on the side; Italians don’t put vegetable courses on top of meat courses.

carson1 year ago

I made the sauce as gravy for a roast boneless leg of lamb, with the salad on the side, and it was pretty great. I added arugula to the salad, and subbed radicchio for the fennel (family is not into fennel) - next time will add some sweet peppers for balance. As for the gravy, the anchovies become a paste but didn’t completely incorporate. Next time I will put it in a blender. (Or the Magic Bullet, a miniature Bass-o-matic 😀

Dyan4 years ago

What is a Calabrian pepper? Is there a substitute? Is it hot, like a chipotle? I can't find it in Whole Foods!

Hayford Peirce4 years ago

This is a wonderful recipe that I have made several times, following the recipe just about 100%, Did it again yesterday. I use a little more water and flour to make a little extra gravy. I myself LOVE the vinegar taste but not everyone else does -- the one I make I will cut the vinegar in half. Aside from that, it's fantastic!

Marie6 years ago

Has anyone made the lamb the day before and rewarmed?

S. Humphrey6 years ago

Best lamb you will ever eat comes from Alberta, Canada. We love to buy locally and this is just one more reason to. Thanks for the new recipe and will try it for supper soon.

Angela6 years ago

Coat lamb chunks with olive oil, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Broil until browned.
Mix flour, rosemary, vinegar, and mashed anchovies with pan juices; pour over meat.
Bake for 1 hour; add water if juice gets too thick
Make the salad and dressing as indicated; serve on top of cooked meat.

Michael S6 years ago

Had 3-4 lbs of med. rare roast leg of lamb leftover from Easter Supper. Diced this and sauted in the olive oil. Didn't have white wine or Champagne vinegar but did have a very good white balsamic that has become a staple for me. Like anchovies used a full small can (2 oz) of Crown Prince anchovies in olive oil drained. Cut simmering time to 45 min added the anchovies as indicated with 15 min left. Cut back salt in both recipes couple of pinches coarse kosher salt for each. Loved results.

MLH6 years ago

I substituted balsamic for suggested vinegar and lamb stock, then added sautéed vidalia onions. Lastly, I finished I a low heat oven. It was a loved by all

Philip6 years ago

The amount of meat specified is fairly meager, especially when you consider you'll have to do a little trimming of fat and tendon. I bought about a pound more, and increased the other ingredients proportionally. If you have leftovers, so much the better.
Polenta or Farro makes a nice side.
The anchovies are *essential*. If you taste this while it's cooking, you'll think, "hmmmm, OK but a little thin and acidic". The anchovies completely transform the sauce.

priscilla6 years ago

Made it for Easter dinner... excellent... very similar to Hunter's Chicken preparation which translates to Pollo di Cacciatore... its DELISH!

Anne Rabe6 years ago

Loved this braised lamb recipe. I used Balsamic Vinegar (good quality) rather than the Champagne or white wine vinegar. It just seemed more logical to me and turned out well.

Jan6 years ago

I just made this four our Easter dinner. Some of my guests are iffy about lamb so I used pork shoulder. It is an amazing and tasty dish. I couldn't find the right peppers so I used others and added a bit of Cayenne to give them zip. And, I forgot the anchovy as I purchased anchovy paste in a tube. I think a little would go a long way and make the dish a bit richer.

kristine6 years ago

Suzi6 years ago

Look for the grass fed lamb (Randalls, Central Market, Costco) for a 'sweeter' and less 'gamey' or strong-tasting lamb. Makes all the difference. Roast or saute with rosemary, mint, herbs, garlic,salt etc. Lamb is very forgiving; you can overcook it and still have a delicious meal!

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