Deep in the Gothic tangles of the Aspromonte sits the fourteenth-century Santuario della Madonna di Polsi, a refuge culled by an ancient order of cloistered sisters dedicated to the honor of the Madonna, through a life of acetism. Once a year, though, in the early spring, when pilgrims from faraway parishes walk over Monte Montalto to the sanctuary to celebrate the festival of the Madonna, the nuns sacrifice a flock of newborn lambs to the glory of her, braising their flesh in old, shallow coppers and feeding the faithful at long, rough-hewn tables set out on a meadow floor.
Recipe information
Yield
servse 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a very large terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron casserole over a medium flame, warm 1/3 cup of the olive oil and soften the onion and the pancetta. Remove the onion with a slotted spoon to a holding plate.
Step 2
Dust the lamb very lightly with flour and seal the flesh in the fat—brown only those pieces at a time that will fit without touching. Sprinkle on sea salt, crusting the lamb well on all sides, then remove it to a holding plate.
Step 3
Turn up the flame, add 1 cup of the wine, stirring and scraping at the residue, and permit it to reduce a minute or two. Lower the flame and add the lamb. Bring the combination to a quiet simmer, cover the casserole with a skewed lid, and braise the lamb for 1 hour.
Step 4
Peel the stems of the artichokes to reveal their tender cores. Tear away the coarser petals, trim the softer petals, and remove the chokes. Immerse them in very cold water acidulated with the juice of 1 lemon for 1/2 hour.
Step 5
To the casserole with the lamb, add the softened onion, the potatoes, the artichokes, drained and sliced in half, the peas, the remaining cup of wine, and 1 teaspoon of the sea salt. Bring to a quiet simmer once again. Cover the casserole with a skewed lid and continue the braise, very quietly, for an additional 20 minutes, until the lamb is very soft and the vegetables are completely cooked.
Step 6
In a mortar with a pestle, pound the mint, garlic, and peppercorns to a paste, thinning and emulsifying it with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, beaten into the paste drop by drop. Stir the mint paste into the finished casserole, blending it thoroughly.
Step 7
Carry the casserole to table, serving it with crusty, warm bread and cold white wine.
