LAMB’S NECK WITH SWEET ROOTS AND GREENS

SERVES 6

Katniss loved her lamb dishes and the use of lamb neck here pays homage to the characters’ “snout to tail” use of any available meat. Served up with some sweet roots to honor Rue, and a batch of the greens that Katniss and Gale often relied on, this delicious recipe combines several of the most prominent foods in the Hunger Games trilogy.

Lamb neck isn’t seen very often in recipes, but the meat is extremely flavorful and juicy, and the cut is less expensive than many other parts of the animal.

3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, DIVIDED

2 LARGE CARROTS, DICED

2 CELERY RIBS, DICED

1 LARGE ONION, DICED

2 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

1½ POUNDS LAMB NECK, TRIMMED OF MOST VISIBLE FAT

1 TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER

2 CUPS RED WINE

4 CUPS BEEF OR LAMB STOCK

3 CUPS SWEET POTATOES, PEELED AND QUARTERED

3 CUPS DANDELION GREENS, STEMS REMOVED

3 CUPS WATERCRESS, STEMS REMOVED

Preheat oven to 250 degrees with rack in middle.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat and add carrots, celery, onion and garlic.

Cook for 5–7 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a roasting pan.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet and turn heat to medium-high.

Brown lamb neck well on all sides, season with salt and pepper, then place on top of vegetable mixture in pan.

Do not wash skillet; set aside for later use.

Roast lamb and vegetables uncovered for 5 hours.

Return skillet to burner and heat on medium-high heat.

Once hot, pour in red wine and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan, being sure to loosen all of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add stock, turn heat to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-high and allow to simmer uncovered until reduced by about half. Set aside.

When lamb has roasted for 5 hours, pour hot stock over all, cover tightly with foil or lid and return to oven for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, arrange sweet potatoes around lamb, then cover again and return pan to oven for 1 more hour.

Remove pan from oven. Remove potatoes from pan and cover to keep warm. Allow lamb to cool enough to be handled.

Use a fork to scrape the meat from the bone, removing any connective tissue or excess fat as you go. Return the meat to the roasting pan and toss well.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large skillet and heat over high heat. Add dandelion greens and watercress, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook just until wilted, about 1–2 minutes.

To serve, place greens on plate and ladle lamb and sauce mixture on top. Arrange potatoes around all and serve.