Corsican lamb gratin

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 800 g lamb
• 3 onions
• 300 g zucchini
• 600 g potatoes
• 300 g tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ lemon(s), juice
• 200 g sheep’s cheese, rather mild
• 150 ml cream
• 100 ml milk
• 2 stalks of thyme and rosemary (each), alternatively 2 tsp each dried
• 30 g pine nuts, or more
• Salt and pepper, black pepper (preferably freshly ground)
• Olive oil (olive oil flavored with garlic)

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

very aromatic

First, cut the lamb into not-too-thin slices or goulash cubes, trimming any excess fat and tendons. Heat olive oil in a pan, while peeling the onions and cutting them into thin slices. Brown the meat on both sides until medium-rare. Set aside on a plate and sauté the onion wedges until translucent, adding a little more olive oil if necessary. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Wash the zucchini and cut them into slices about 1 cm wide. Meanwhile, remove the onions from the pan and add them to the meat. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and briefly fry the zucchini on both sides. Squeeze half a lemon. Place the zucchini slices on a second plate and season with about half the lemon juice and a little salt and pepper. Peel the potatoes and cut them into gratin slices. Wash and slice the tomatoes, discarding the stems. If using fresh herbs, wash them, pick off the thyme leaves, and cut/chop the rosemary needles. Finely slice the garlic cloves. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (convection oven). Brush a casserole dish with olive oil and place the potato slices on the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. Place the lamb and onion wedges on top, drizzle with the remaining lemon juice, and scatter half of the herbs over the top. Now layer the zucchini and tomato slices in alternating rows. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs, garlic slices, and pine nuts, and season with pepper. Pour the cream and milk into a bowl, crumble the feta cheese, and puree it with a hand blender; small pieces are fine. Pour this sauce over the gratin, distributing the crumbs evenly. Bake the gratin for 55-60 minutes, covering the dish with aluminum foil halfway through if necessary to prevent the gratin from overcooking. Since the gratin is very aromatic, you can serve it with baguette, but it’s not necessary. The mild sheep’s cheese doesn’t taste that great, so you can serve the meal to someone who doesn’t eat sheep’s cheese if you dare.