Lamb And Ricotta Crespelle With Tomato And Pecorino Recipe

Lamb And Ricotta Crespelle With Tomato And Pecorino Recipe Photo: Ed Anderson
Nate Appleman•

Lamb is the most commonly prepared meat in southern Italy, for good reason. Sheep are nimble animals and require less food and pastureland than cows, which are important traits in the rocky, dry terrain of Campania and surrounding regions.

The lambs we get from Don Watson of Napa Valley Lamb are milk fed, and their meat has a subtle flavor. The lightness of crespelle (Italian crepes), paired with ricotta, complements the richness of the lamb without overwhelming its nuanced flavor. When preparing this dish, make the crespelle batter and marinate the lamb the night before you plan to serve the dish. Since lamb shanks vary in their meatiness, you may be left with extra filling. Leftovers can be heated gently and tossed together with mint and peas to sauce pasta.

Lamb And Ricotta Crespelle With Tomato And Pecorino Recipe
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Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
5
hours
Servings
6
Lamb And Ricotta Crespelle With Tomato And Pecorino Recipe
Total time: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin oil
  • 2 pounds lamb shanks
  • kosher salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 pound (about 2 cups) fresh ricotta
  • leaves from 2 sprigs mint
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes with juices
  • block of aged pecorino
  • extra virgin olive oil
Directions
  1. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, flour, eggs, butter and salt until well combined. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Place the lamb shanks in a shallow dish, season them with about 2 teaspoons salt and then coat them with the olive oil mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 250˚F.
  4. Transfer the shanks to a roasting pan or Dutch oven and pour in the water. Cover, transfer the pot to the oven and roast for about 4 hours, or until the meat is completely tender and beginning to fall off the bone.
  5. Remove the pot from the oven. Place a colander over a bowl, and transfer the shanks to the colander to rest. Let the braising liquid rest in the pot for 30 minutes to allow the fat to rise to the surface. Skim off most of the fat with a large spoon. Taste the liquid for seasoning and add salt if needed. Stir in any liquid that has drained from the resting shanks, and set the braising liquid aside. You should have about 1 cup.
  6. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, pull away the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces with your fingers. In a bowl, combine the lamb, ricotta, mint, and chile flakes and mix well. Set the filling aside.
  7. Heat an 8-inch nonstick sauté pan or crepe pan over medium heat. Brush the pan with butter, then ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. Swirl the batter in the pan until evenly distributed. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the bottom is golden and the top is almost dry. Using a spatula and a flick of the wrist, flip the crespella carefully and cook for 30 seconds on the second side, or until the bottom is lightly browned. Slide the crespella onto a plate and repeat until all of the batter has been used, brushing the pan with butter as needed and stacking the crespelle as you work. You should have 16 to 20 crespelle.
  8. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic softens and starts to turn golden. Remove from the heat and gradually pour in the wine. Return to the stove, increase the heat to medium-high, and reduce for 3 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated. Add the braising liquid and cook for about 3 minutes more, or until reduced by three-fourths.
  9. Meanwhile, place the canned tomatoes and their juices in a bowl and crush with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon. Once the sauce has reduced, stir in the tomatoes and bring the sauce to a boil. Remove from the heat and reserve.
  10. Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Lightly oil a roasting pan with olive oil.
  11. Lay a crespella flat on a work surface. Spread 1/3 cup of the filling horizontally along the center, fold the edge of the crespella closest to you over the filling and then roll it up, securing the filling firmly inside. Place the crespella, seam side down, in the roasting pan. Repeat until all of the crespelle have been filled.
  12. Place the pan in the oven and heat the crespelle, rotating the pan front to back after a couple of minutes, for about 5 minutes, or until evenly browned.
  13. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce until hot. When the crespelle are ready, remove them from the oven. To serve, spoon the sauce into warmed bowls, dividing it evenly, and place the crespelle on top. Grate pecorino over the top of each serving, and then drizzle with olive oil to finish. Serve immediately.
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