Basilicata
Lamb cooked in an earthenware pot (cutturieddhu) — the ancient Lucano technique of sealing a whole lamb or lamb pieces with vegetables, herbs and water in a terracotta vessel and cooking over embers or in a stone oven until the lamb is falling from the bone. The seal of the pot traps all steam and the lamb cooks in its own juices and fat, creating an intensely flavoured braising liquid that is itself the sauce.
Intensely lamby, herbal, gelatinous from the collagen; the sealed pot concentrates all flavour into an extraordinary braising liquid; the first moment of steam at the table is the dish — ancient cooking technique of spectacular simplicity
{"Use lamb shoulder or neck on the bone — boneless cuts don't provide enough collagen to create the characteristic gelatinous braising liquid","Add only a small amount of water (50ml) — the lamb releases enough liquid on its own; too much dilutes the concentrated juices","Seal the lid with a paste of flour and water before placing in the oven — the seal prevents any steam escaping","Cook at very low temperature (140–150°C) for 3–4 hours — the sealed environment means the lamb cooks in 100% humidity","Break the flour seal at the table — the first breath of steam that escapes is the most dramatic moment of the preparation"}
{"If terracotta is unavailable, a heavy cast-iron casserole sealed tightly with foil under the lid achieves a similar result","Wild thyme, bay and garlic tucked under the lamb are the traditional aromatics — no wine, no tomato","The braising liquid in the pot is extraordinary — serve it separately as a broth before the lamb"}
{"Too much liquid — the lamb becomes boiled rather than steaming in its own juices","Opening the pot during cooking — any break in the seal destroys the steam environment","Using too high a temperature — the seal may fail and the concentrated juices burn on the pot bottom"}
La Cucina di Basilicata — Tradizioni Lucane