Zinfandel-Braised Leg of Lamb (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless leg of lamb
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice, crushed
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup zinfandel
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups hot cooked egg noodles (about 4-3/4 cups uncooked pasta)

Directions

1. 1

   Unroll lamb; trim fat. Sprinkle evenly with1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper. Reroll lamb; secure at 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine. Sprinkle evenly with flour.

2. 2

   Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Place lamb in electric slow cooker.

3. 3

   Add juniper berries, allspice, and garlic to skillet; cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned. Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Scrape wine mixture into cooker; add basil and bay leaves. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until lamb is tender.

4. 4

   Remove lamb from cooker; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a small bowl; discard solics. Add remaining 1/2 t. salt and remaining 1/2 t. pepper to cooking liquid; stir. Remove twine from lamb, and discard. Break lamb into chunks with 2 forks. Serve lamb with cooking liquid over egg noodles.