Fricassee de Lambi is a classic Puerto Rican dish featuring lamb meat, and it is a national favorite. You can fricassee poultry, pork, seafood, and other red meats also. But my favorite is this particular recipe for Fricassee de Lambi.
Fricassee de Lambi Recipe-
Ingredients:
(serves 4)
- 1-1/2 lb. lamb meat, bone free and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp. sazon seasoning
- 1 tbsp. adobo seasoning
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried and ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 8 fresh red Thai chili peppers, left whole
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and rough chopped
- 1 large ripe plantain, peeled and crosscut into thick slices
- 1 large carrot, peeled and crosscut into thick slices
- 1 large onion, peeled and rough chopped
- 8 large cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, rough chopped
- 1/2 cup good quality dry red wine (suggest a Malbec)
- 4 tbsp. scallion infused olive oil, divided
- 2 fresh limes, sliced thin, for garnish
- 4 green onions, trimmed and crosscut in half, for garnish
- 6 cups freshly cooked yellow rice, to serve as accompaniment
Directions:
- Wash the lamb meat and pat dry, then place all the pieces into a large bowl. Season with salt and the adobo and sazon seasonings, tossing the meat and coating the pieces all over evenly with the seasonings.
- In an electric blender or food processor, puree the red bell pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, 2 tablespoons olive oil, wine, cumin, and oregano.
- Place a large, heavy-duty skillet on the burner and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high flame. When the oil is hot, put the lamb in the skillet and sauté, stirring, until all the pieces are nicely browned on all sides.
- Now pour the pureed mixture over the lamb, add in the bay leaves, whole red chilis, plantains and carrots, and stir everything together.
- Bring the dish to a vigorous boil, then reduce the heat to just a lively simmer. Cook on low, stirring now and then, for 1-1/2 hours, or until the lamb is fork tender and the juices have reduced to a slightly thickened sauce consistency.
- To serve your Fricassee de Lambi, scoop out a heap of lamb meat, using a slotted spoon, and place in a mound on each serving plate. Place one or two scoops of freshly cooked yellow rice and place on the plate beside the lamb. Again using a slotted spoon, fish out some slices of plantains and carrots, and a couple red chilis, and place them on the plate in various places next to the lamb. Then ladle a generous helping of the sauce over the lamb – if you get some sauce on the rice, hey – no worries – tastes great that way, and you will probably want to spoon some sauce into the rice anyway. Garnish each serving with a slice or two of lime and a couple pieces of green onions, and sit down and enjoy some authentic Fricassee de Lambi!
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