Recipes Oven-Braised Lamb with Gremolata Be the first to rate & review! Cal Peternell, sous chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, makes an already simple cooking method—braising—even easier. By baking the lamb roast uncovered and turning it twice, the areas of the meat that are not submerged in the braising liquid brown nicely, eliminating the mess and awkwardness of searing a large piece of meat on the stove top. More Amazing Lamb Recipes By Cal Peternell Cal Peternell Cal Peternell was the head chef of Chez Panisse for 22 years. He is the author of four bestselling cookbooks, including the award-winning Twelve Recipes (2014). Cal hosts the Cooking by Ear podcast where he invites listeners to cook along with him and kitchen guests such as Frances McDormand, Mira Nair, and Alexander Payne.Experience: Cal Peternell was inspired to pursue a career in cooking while living in Italy with his wife. His professional culinary journey began in San Francisco, where he worked at BIX and Loretta Keller's Bizou. From there he cooked at Lydia Shire's BIBA and Chris Schlesinger's The Blue Room in Boston, before helming the kitchen at Chez Panisse. Cal shifted his attention to writing cookbooks, focused on teaching home cooks how to not only cook well but to take pleasure in the process. His first book gave readers a kitchen manual of essential building blocks to help them develop core skills and confidence. Cal's second and third books provided recipes for celebrations and get-togethers and introduced healthier, more economical, and sustainable ways of cooking. He carries the theme of sustainability into his latest book Burnt Toast and Other Disasters (2021) in which he offers practical advice and kitchen hacks to salvage food-gone-wrong and turn lackluster ingredients into delicious meals. In addition to writing cookbooks, Cal hosts the podcast Cooking by Ear where he invites listeners to cook along with him and kitchen guests such as Frances McDormand, Mira Nair, and Alexander Payne.Education: Cal studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 29, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil One 5 1/2-pound boneless lamb shoulder roast, tied at 2-inch intervals Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 large onions, thickly sliced 2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick 2 medium celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 leek, white and tender green parts only, thickly sliced crosswise 6 thyme sprigs 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus 6 parsley sprigs 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise plus 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 quarts water 2 cups dry white wine 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest Directions Preheat the oven to 400°. Rub 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil all over the lamb and season with salt and pepper. In a medium roasting pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, celery, leek, thyme, parsley sprigs, head of garlic and bay leaf. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Add the water and wine and bring to a boil. Set the lamb on the vegetables, fat side up, and put the roasting pan in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and roast the lamb for about 3 hours, turning it twice to brown the exposed sides. The lamb should be very tender. Transfer the lamb to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Strain the pan juices into a medium saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Skim the fat from the surface and boil the juices over high heat until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Finely chop the lemon zest with the chopped parsley and the garlic clove, then transfer this gremolata to a small bowl. Thickly slice the lamb and transfer it to a platter. Sprinkle the gremolata over the lamb and serve with the pan juices. Rate it Print