Lunch: Zinfandel-Braised Leg of Lamb Recipe | Myrecipes

Recipe by Lia Huber Reducing the wine before placing it in the slow cooker gives the dish a more rounded flavor.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Basil

Health benefits of Zinfandel-Braised Leg of Lamb Recipe | Myrecipes

Basil is an excellent stress reliever, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Ingredients

1 (2 1/2-pound) boneless leg of lamb
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed
1 teaspoon whole allspice, crushed
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup zinfandel or other fruity dry red wine
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
6 cups hot cooked egg noodles (about 4 3/4 cups uncooked pasta)

Instructions

Unroll lamb; trim fat. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reroll lamb; secure at 1-inch intervals with twine. Sprinkle evenly with flour. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Place lamb in an electric slow cooker. Add juniper berries, allspice, and garlic to pan; cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned. Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Scrape wine mixture into cooker; add basil and bay leaves. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until lamb is tender.
Remove lamb from cooker; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper to cooking liquid; stir. Remove twine from lamb, and discard. Break lamb into chunks with 2 forks. Serve lamb and cooking liquid over egg noodles.
Wine note: With jammy fruit and light tannins, zinfandel makes a great wine for cooking. Choose something you'll relish drinking with the dish, like Francis Coppola Director's Cut Zinfandel 2005 ($22). Bursting with raspberry and cherry flavors, the peppery notes of this wine are a good match for the spicy, herbal qualities of the sauce, while the modest tannins are perfect with leaner red meat. —Jeffery Lindenmuth