Lamb with Olives

Directions

Dust the meat with the flour. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a Dutch oven and add the meat to sear on all sides. Season the meat with salt and pepper, moisten with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of stock. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the pitted olives, half the oregano, the chile flakes and the remaining stock. Cover and simmer another hour and a half, until the meat is fork-tender. Serve sliced with the pan juices drizzled over and the remaining olives on the side. Sprinkle the remaining oregano over each slice.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over high heat until smoking. Add all the chicken parts and brown all over, stirring to avoid burning. Remove the chicken and reserve. Add the carrots, onions, and celery to the pot and cook until soft and browned. Return the chicken to the pot and add 3 quarts of water, the tomato paste, peppercorns, and parsley. Stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge the browned chicken and vegetables bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring almost to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a low simmer until reduced by half, about 2 hours, occasionally skimming excess fat. Remove from heat, strain, and press on the solids with the bottom of a ladle to extract out all liquids. Stir the stock to facilitate cooling and set aside. Refrigerate stock in small containers for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.