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Slow-braised lamb with Cretan wild greens and olive oil. Ancient, honest, and deeply nourishing.
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ingredients
•
🥩 MEAT
•
2 lbs bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into pieces
•
🥬 GREENS
•
600g stamnagathi (Cretan wild chicory) or substitute dandelion greens, chicory, or bitter greens
•
🍋 FINISH
•
Juice of 2 lemons
•
Extra-virgin olive oil — generous
•
🧅 AROMATICS
•
1 large onion, roughly chopped
•
4 garlic cloves, smashed
•
2 bay leaves
🌿 SPICES & SEASONING
•
1 tsp dried oregano
•
Salt
•
Black pepper
🫙 PANTRY
•
½ cup dry white wine
•
Olive oil
Crete
Lamb with Stamnagathi
Braised lamb with Cretan wild greens and lemon.
Slow-braised lamb with Cretan wild greens and olive oil. Ancient, honest, and deeply nourishing.
Ingredients
🥩 MEAT
— 2 lbs bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into pieces
🥬 GREENS
— 600g stamnagathi (Cretan wild chicory) or substitute dandelion greens, chicory, or bitter greens
🍋 FINISH
— Juice of 2 lemons
— Extra-virgin olive oil — generous
🧅 AROMATICS
— 1 large onion, roughly chopped
— 4 garlic cloves, smashed
— 2 bay leaves
🌿 SPICES & SEASONING
— 1 tsp dried oregano
— Salt
— Black pepper
🫙 PANTRY
— ½ cup dry white wine
— Olive oil
Prep
🍳 EQUIPMENT / PANS NEEDED
— Large heavy pot or Dutch oven — for braising lamb.
— Large pot — for blanching greens.
🔪 PREP FIRST
🥩 LAMB PREP
— Pat lamb dry.
— Season generously with salt and pepper.
🥬 GREENS PREP
— Wash greens thoroughly.
— Remove any very tough stems.
— 👉 Blanch greens separately — they need less time than the lamb.
Method
STEP 1 — SEAR THE LAMB
— Heat pot over high heat.
— Add:
— 3 tbsp olive oil
— Sear lamb on all sides until deeply browned.
— Work in batches.
— Remove and set aside.
STEP 2 — BUILD THE BRAISE
— Reduce heat to medium.
— Add:
— Chopped onion
— Cook 5 minutes until soft.
— Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
— Add:
— White wine
— Scrape up all browned bits.
— Return lamb to pot.
— Add:
— Bay leaves
— Oregano
— 1 tsp salt
— Water to almost cover
— Cover and simmer on low for 1.5 hours.
STEP 3 — BLANCH THE GREENS
— Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
— Blanch greens 4–5 minutes until wilted and tender.
— Drain and press out excess water.
STEP 4 — COMBINE
— When lamb is tender, add blanched greens to the pot.
— Simmer together 10 minutes.
— You're looking for:
— Lamb falling from the bone
— Greens fully integrated into the broth
STEP 5 — FINISH
— Remove bay leaves.
— Squeeze lemon juice generously over the dish.
— Drizzle with raw olive oil.
— Taste and adjust salt.
Chef's Note: The bitterness of the greens cuts through the richness of the lamb. Don't substitute with mild greens — the contrast is the point.