Comments on: Weekend Cookbook Challenge7: Gigot de Sept Heures

By: Lena Kansbod

Lena Kansbod — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:40:58 +0000

Hi,I am just about to try. How was it with the anchovy? Sounds good!I had the best gigot de sept heures at the Auberge Ravoux in France and as i remeber it was a lot of souce. I will try to add some extra boulion.

By: Darlene Purdy

Darlene Purdy — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:24:54 +0000

Oh my! I’ve never had lamb before and that just looks so delicious. I guess if i ever get the chance to buy some i’ll be able to look back at your recipe and know how to prepare it. Thank you very much for posting the information.

By: Todd

Todd — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:52:13 +0000

Today I am making this for the second time. The key is to not divert away from what the instructions are. i.e. use white wine, use lamb on the bone, don’t brown the meat and even think about using stock and don’t break the seal half way though by peeking. The dough is a seal so all the aromas from the garlic, wine and vegetable are all infused into the meat. If the seal is broken (or not sealed properly) it will dry out over 7 hours and the aromas escape.

Having said all that, today I will be diverting from the instructions by adding anchovy fillets into the incisions with the garlic. Hopefully it will be a salty winner.

By: Xavier

Xavier — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:18:37 +0000

Try this at a much lower temperature of 80-85ºC (180ºF), ie well below boiling point. At this temperature the tough collagen disintegrates while the meat protein denatures. The result is a very moist, incredibly tender piece of meat that has developed an unusual palette of volatile aromas – and kept them because of the low temperature. In France they also call it ‘gigot à la cuiller’. Cuiller means spoon.

The low temperature is key. It is also the main reason why it needs seven hours. Some people ‘cook’ it at 65ºC (150F) for three days but I would not recommend that unless you know what you are doing because it is on the edge of what is microbiologically safe.

Neither would I brown the meat beforehand. The browning reactions give a deep flavour to the meat, but they cover the specific aromas of the ‘sept heures’.

By: mlb

mlb — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 00:30:25 +0000

GC: Thanks! And it is indeed exactly that kind of dutch oven! (I found one at TJ Maxx a number of years ago for about $49 and I love it and use it whenever I can!)