Braised leg of lamb with Jerusalem artichoke

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 g Jerusalem artichoke
• 10 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• Salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• 1 ½ kg leg(s) (leg of lamb with bone)
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of hyssop
• ½ liter white wine
• ¼ liter of sauce, pontack sauce (alternatively mushroom-soy sauce or elderberry liqueur)

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Peel the shallots. Brush the Jerusalem artichokes thoroughly under cold running water and cut into large pieces (smaller bulbs can be left whole). Store in lemon water until ready to use to prevent the pieces from browning. Rinse the garlic; it stays in the skin. Make a paste of salt, coarsely ground/cracked pepper, and olive oil. Rub the garlic well into the leg of lamb and sear on all sides in an ovenproof pot. Remove from the pot and set aside briefly. Brown the Jerusalem artichokes, shallots, and garlic in the lamb pot, deglaze with half of the white wine, return the lamb to the pot, add the herbs, and place the pot in the oven at 220°C for 30 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to about 160°C and add the remaining wine and the pontack sauce. Cook the leg for about two and a half to three hours, turning it two or three times and basting it with the wine, sauce, and meat juices mixture. Cover the leg at least halfway through cooking. The leg is done when the meat easily falls off the bone. If you like, you can make a gravy from the meat juices. You can also simply dip the meat juices into bread and serve the leg on its own. Otherwise, it’s delicious with potatoes or a Jerusalem artichoke and apple gratin.