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Florentine Lamb with Peas

  • 2 shoulders of young lamb cut into largish pieces
  • 6 crushed garlic cloves
  • 2 large sprigs of rosemary (tied tightly so that the leaves do not diffuse during cooking)
  • 1 glass of white wine
  • 4 spoons of concentrated tomato paste dissolved in ¼ dl boiling water together with ½ stock cube
  • 500 gr of petit peas (in can or frozen)
  • 5-6 spoons of olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Put the lamb, garlic and rosemary together with the oil in a pan with a lid, brown over a high heat stirring continuously, so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, for 15 minutes or until the meat is uniformly browned.

At this point add the wine, leave it to evaporate for 4-5 minutes continuing to stir, then add the tomato paste dissolved together with the ½ stock cube. Bring back to the boil , and cook slowly for 5 minutes, add the peas, and adjust the heat to simmer, cover and cook for a further 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning then serve hot.

In the Tuscan tradition, this preparation is a real and true symbol : Spring is, consequently, the holiday which stamps it, Easter. It is the perfume, intensely meaningful which flows from house to house, which arrives at the point of literally impregnating the atmosphere in this period which already by itself announces the holiday. And whets the appetite because in its extreme simplicity this preparation proves to be splendid, complete, nothing to be added or subtracted that would not disturb its admirable balance.

A Giuseppe Alessi recipe
Translated by Gianna Toni


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