Fresh tomatoes and mint.
In the dead of winter.
Well, why the hell not?
If you’re hungry and you happen to have all the ingredients to a divine dinner, are you going to punish yourself because it might not be the “correct” time to eat something. The Food Police need to lighten up a bit.
The wonderful Campari tomatoes on the vine work great for this. And fresh mint is not hard to come by.
Combine with a simple saute of ground lamb, onions, fat garlic cloves and spicy fresh ginger and you’ve got a quick meal that will knock your socks off.
And offer hopes of warm weather during an Arctic freeze.
Rigatoni with Lamb Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes and Mint
Adapted from Patricia Wells’ The Provence Cookbook
2 onions, peeled and diced
1 large spoonful garlic confit or 6 fat garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A good inch of fresh ginger, peeled and cut in small pieces
A couple of good shakes crushed red pepper flakes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound ground lamb
A good hand of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
A good pinch dried mint
1-1-2 cups dry white wine
6 Campari tomatoes, cut in quarters
A good handful fresh mint, chopped
Cook enough rigatoni for three people
Pecorino Romano cheese , grated, to pass
Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is shimmery, add onions, garlic and season with coarse salt. Stir, cover and cook over low heat until soft, about three minutes.
Throw the carrots, celery, ginger and hot pepper flakes in the food processor. Pulse a couple of times and put in pan with the onions and garlic mix. Cook until soft. Add the lamb and cook until it’s no longer pink. Add parsley, dried mint and white wine and bring to a boil. The reduce the heat and let it rock til the wine has evaporated. Patricia says that should take about five minutes.
Put the Campari tomatoes, fresh mint and a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
At this point, when the pasta is done, drain and add immediately to the skillet. Toss together and then cover and let it sit for a couple of minutes and then taste for seasoning.
Serve with the Campari tomato and mint salad on top and a good grating of the Pecorino Romano cheese.
Pure bliss.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Rigatoni with Lamb Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes and Mint
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Ground Lamb Burgers with a Sweet Leek, Fennel and Sundried Tomato Confit
The blogger stands, yet again, in front of the refrigerator.
Ingredients present themselves.
Ground lamb.
Pancetta.
Fennel.
Prosciutto.
Leeks.
A light bulb goes off over said blogger’s head.
A bit of chopping, a bit of sautéing, a glass of wine, Joni Mitchell sings softly in the background.
A pretty damn good meal for a weeknight appears on the plate.
The blogger smiles.
Ground Lamb Burgers with a Sweet Leek, Fennel and Sundried Tomato Confit
1 lb ground lamb
2 ounce pancetta, chopped
2 ounces prosciutto, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Combine lamb, prosciutto and pancetta in bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add red pepper flakes and lemon juice and mix well. Form into nice sized patties and let sit thirty minutes.
1 small leek, rinsed well and chopped
3 fat garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 small fennel bulb, sliced
1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes in oil
¼ cup roasted chicken stock
In a large skillet over medium heat, add a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil and when the oil shimmers, add the leeks and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the fennel and garlic and cook another 10 minutes, adjusting the heat so they do not burn. Raise the heat and add the chicken stock and after it cooks down add the sundried tomatoes. Keep warm over low heat.
In heavy skillet over medium to medium high heat add a swirl of extra virgin olive oil. When it shimmers, add the lamb burgers and cook about 8 minutes, or until browned. Flip the burgers and cook until done to your taste, about 8 minutes for medium, 10 for well done.
Plate the burgers, top with the confit and enjoy.
Makes 3 good sized portions.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Grilled Boneless Leg of Lamb Mediterranean
Boneless leg of lamb is a particular fave around the Red Brick Ranchero. Especially in the summer when we grill practically every meal. And there are always leftovers, for sandwiches, salads and even standing in front of the refrigerator door snackin’.
Cold grilled leg of lamb dipped in a bit of Dijon mustard has been known to bring a smile to even the grumpiest person in the room.
Seriously.
There are plenty of ways to season lamb before you grill.
The typical garlic stuffed, chopped rosemary and olive oil rubbed is one.
Freshly squeezed lemon, olive oil and crushed red pepper is another favorite, especially with chops.
But this marinade..
this is something else.
Totally different.
Greek leaning towards Turkish and Persian.
Mediterranean, if you will.
It’s a perfectly wonderful..cumin, ground sumac, ground coriander, tomato, extra virgin olive oil and garlic confit conglomeration .
Grill some red and yellow bell peppers, red onions….whip up a quick yogurt, cuke, lemony drizzle…slap some pita bread on the grill to toast…and you’ve got “a slam dunk how did you do this I must have the recipe” dinner on the deck.
Grilled Boneless Leg of Lamb Mediterranean
Marinade:
½ large sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 large spoonful garlic confit (or maybe 10 garlic cloves, chopped)
1 small can San Marzano tomatoes, drained (you’ll have maybe five)
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large tsp ground sumac (this is optional but so so good. Adds a bright citrusy flavor available from Penzey’s)
1-½ tbsp ground coriander
1-½ tbsp toasted cumin (just heat a small skillet, add the cumin..you’ll smell it getting toasty and take off the heat)
1 tbsp sweet Spanish paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
Put the onion, garlic, and tomatoes in blender or food processor and pulse it til smooth. Add the herbs spices and a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil to make a paste.
Set aside.
Lamb
1 boneless leg of lamb, about 2-2-½ pounds
Spread lamb out and trim off excess fat. Pour marinade over, rub it in a bit so the lamb feels the love and cover with plastic wrap. You can let it sit out at room temp for several hours, or marinate in the fridge overnight. The longer it sits in this, the better, but be sure to bring lamb to room temp before you grill it.
Heat the grill to medium hot, and grill lamb between 12 to 15 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. We like ours medium rare, so we do about 12.
When done, take off grill and let sit five minutes, slice and serve.
Serves four generously.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Lamb Curry
I could tell you that I took a grand picture of this divine lamb curry elegantly served on fine china, possibly the best pic I've done yet, but it didn’t turn out and you would believe me.
But I didn’t.
I took pictures all the way up to when I added the stock and whisked in the Greek yogurt.
And it curdled.
Time stopped. Hysteria ensued.
Cats hid under the piano.
But wait, what would any self respecting food blogger do?
Adapt.
Talk about the incredible flavors this lamb curry has.
Cardamon, cinnamon, bay leaf, garam masala, ginger and garlic… spicy cloves, onion, tomato, smoky hot cayenne.
Talk the ease of prep. Slam bam thank you ma’am. Easy peasy. Cooks like a dream.
And vow to make again til the yogurt whisking becomes second nature.
Lamb Curry
Adapted from Sue L.’s 2002 version in Recipezaar
2 lbs boneless lamb, cut into nice chunks
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 large cinnamon stick
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 tbsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
1 large spoonful garlic confit or 4 big fat cloves garlic, smashed
1 smallish green chile, seeded and chopped (I used jalapeno)
Splash of water
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp garam masala
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
½ cup Greek yogurt
3 cups chicken stock (if you have lamb stock or beef stock you could use it or just water)
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chutney
In a good sized Dutch oven, heat the swirls of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat and add the bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves and peppercorns. When the bay leaves start to cook and release their aromas, reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes until the onions are golden. In a blender, put ginger, garlic, green chile, and a splash of water. Grind to make a paste.
Raise heat to medium high, add the lamb and the ginger paste and combine well. Season the lamb with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for about 20 minutes. If the lamb starts to stick, add a bit of liquid to the pan. In my case it was a bit of Shiraz for lack of anything else nearby.
Add turmeric, garam masala, cayenne, tomatoes and coriander and another splash of nearby liquid (aka Shiraz) to keep from sticking and cook for five minutes. Remove lamb from pan and add the stock, raising the heat to high and reduce sauce down about half. Whisk the yogurt into the sauce, add lamb back into the pan and heat over low til flavors blend and you’ve quit freaking out over the yogurt curdling.
Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve with jasmine rice, some wondrous homemade mango chutney and candlelight.
Serves 4.
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Lamb Shanks with Tomatoes and Olives
There’s something to be said about lamb shanks.
Talk about your cheap but effective meal.
They are highly impressive at table.
They make the house smell like you are flat in the middle of Tuscany, or Morocco or France, depending on how you are preparing them.
This is one of Bittman’s best.
Your guests will think you’ve outdone yourself.
Which, of course, you have!
Lamb Shanks with Tomatoes and Olives
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
4 lamb shanks, about a pound each
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups sliced red onion
A large spoonful garlic confit
A couple of sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1-½ cups assorted olives, pitted
Chopped fresh Italian parsley
Heat a couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add lamb and brown on all sides, season as you cook. Remove lamb and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until soft and goldenish, about 10 minutes. Add garlic confit and thyme and cook one minute then add the chicken stock and the tomatoes and stir. Add the browned lamb shanks and turn them once or twice, season to taste, cover and turn heat to low.
Cook for 30 minutes, turn the shanks and add the olives. Cook for an hour until shanks are very tender. Meat falling off bone is good sign!
Garnish with the Italian parsley and serve.
Serves 4.
Can be adapted to slow cooker with great ease! Fabulous with smashed potatoes.
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Grilled Lamb Patties with Red Peppers, Nicoise Olives and Creme Fraiche
A month or so ago, I did an incredible recipe for Merguez, a lamb sausage. The sausages were fried/sautéed on top of the stove and served on top of couscous with fresh spinach. They were amazing, if I do say so myself.
I wanted to do something again with the flavors of the Merguez, but in a different presentation. I wanted to add Nicoise olives, and red bell peppers and I wanted to grill the ground lamb that had been highly seasoned and this time had bread crumbs, lots of fresh cilantro, garlic and sweet red onion added and have more of it to eat than just a small sausage.
So, I did.
To top off the grilled lamb patties, I did an adapted version of a fabulous recipe of Perla Meyers that uses sautéed red bell peppers, garlic, and crème fraiche with the addition of the Nicoise olives, fresh cilantro and toasted pine nuts.
It worked.
Grilled Lamb Patties
3 garlic cloves
1 lb ground lamb
1 cup fresh soft bread crumbs
¼ small red onion, grated
Combine and form into small oval patties.
Grill for 4-5 minutes per side.
Makes 8 patties.
Plate the patties, then put the pepper sauce over. Garnish with the Nicoise olives and the fresh cilantro.
Serves 3-4.
Red Bell Peppers with Garlic, Black Olives and Crème Fraiche
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
A couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into julienne
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp crème fraiche
1/3 cup pitted Nicoise olives
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat a large cast iron skillet on top of the stove. Add a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil. When hot but not smoking, add garlic and moderate the heat so garlic doesn’t burn. When you can really smell the garlic, add the red bell pepper and cook them until they start to soften.
Serves 3 -4.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Merguez with Spinach and Golden Raisins on Couscous
I have read about making sausage, and have been intrigued by it, but I’ve got to tell you I am not into hog casings. Can’t help it. It isn’t in me. I like the idea of making your own sausages fresh and grilling them. No preservatives or additives and no hog casings. You can make small amounts and freeze them for quick additions to pasta or stews.
Merguez is the name of a Moroccan lamb sausage. Honestly, I’ve never had the real thing, only these. And we’re crazy about them! Talk about spice! The sensation of hot smoked Spanish pimenton, cumin, coriander and cinnamon combines well with garlic and cayenne pepper. I love the Italian parsley and cilantro in this as well. It’s fresh and bright and is complimented by the couscous and the sweet spinach with golden raisins. Be sure to make the yogurt sauce to go with this. It finishes the flavors beautifully.
A Moroccan Lamb Sausage adapted from The Mediterranean Kitchen
1 pound ground lamb
3 fat cloves garlic, minced
About a ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
About a ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tbsp hot smoked Spanish pimenton
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
A good pinch of coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Take out a little bit and fry it until done so you can taste the seasoning and adjust.
You can grill this outside if you want or cook on top of the stove in cast iron skillet.
Makes 12 small patties.
Yogurt Sauce
½ cup Greek yogurt
½ Meyer lemon, juiced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
About ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Combine and let sit while you cook the sausages to allow the flavors to blend.
Makes ½ cup.
Spinach with Onions and Golden Raisins
1 pound fresh spinach, washed
1 good swirl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped sweet yellow onion, chopped onion
good pinch dried crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
good pinch ground cinnamon
1 grating fresh nutmeg
1/2 cup dried golden raisins
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces plain couscous, cooked according to package directions
Heat a good swirl of extra virgin olive oil heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add dried crushed red pepper and garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add spinach and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in golden raisins. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir butter into couscous and season with salt and pepper.
Plate couscous, spinach and sausages. Top with yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon peel. If you have them on hand, slivers of sweet preserved lemons take this over the top.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Lamb Shank Soup with Tomatoes and Shell Beans
I own a lot of excellent cookbooks. I try to cook out of all of them, but it’s an impossible task. This year I made one resolution. I would pick a cookbook I‘d never used and, well, use it. The first cookbook to benefit from my resolution was Chez Panisse Cooking , a beautiful book written by Paul Bertolli with Alice Waters.
Lamb Shank Soup with Tomatoes and Shell Beans
adapted from Chez Panisse Cooking by Paul Bertolli with Alice Waters
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lamb shanks, trimmed of all fat
2 carrots, diced
1-½ red onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
15 cloves garlic, peeled
4 Turkish bay leaves
4-5 springs Italian parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 14 ounce cans San Marzano plum tomatoes, save the juice, dice the tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
9 cups water
1 cup fresh black eyed peas, speckled butter beans or flageolets
For the gremolata
Small handful Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
Grate the zest of 1 lemon
Heat olive oil in Dutch oven. Season the shanks with salt and coarsely ground black pepper and add to pot and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, turn to brown the sides. Remove from pot. Throw out any fat and add the carrots, onions and celery. If you need to add a bit more olive oil, go for it.
Raise the heat and brown for 15 minutes, stir to keep from burning.
Take a piece of cheesecloth and wrap the whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, parsley and thyme and add to the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato juice and balsamic vinegar. Put the lamb shanks on top and cover with the water. Bring to gentle boil, reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Cook for two hours uncovered.
Remove from pot when done and transfer lamb to plate to cool. Remove the cheesecloth And discard.
While the shanks cook, simmer black eyed peas in 1 quart water with a bit of salt. When tender remove from heat and set aside.
Bring the heat back up and let pot simmer for 15 minutes. There will be some lovely orangey gray fat and foam that will rise to surface. Be sure to skim all of that off. Be diligent.
When shanks are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, pull apart and put back in the pot. Drain black eyed peas and add to pot.
Bring back to simmer and taste to season.
Mix the gremolata ingredients together.
Serve the soup and sprinkle the gremolata on top. Or you can do like me and fling the gremolata all over everything for the thrill of it!
Serves 6
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Lucy's Lamb Ragu
I know ya’ll are going to think this is nuts. And maybe it is. But our dog, Lucy, cooks. She’s a willing taster of any and everything that happens to get within a 50 mile radius of her mouth. She likes to stand on her hind legs and watch me cook. She’s done this ever since she was a puppy. She’ll toddle into the kitchen and stand up with her front paws on the side of the counter. Never on the top. When I got home tonight, Lucy and I discussed what we were going to cook and she reminded me of the ground lamb that she and Groom were thawing in the sink. Every time I opened the refrigerator she was there to offer her suggestions. It was her idea to use fennel instead of celery and of course, the sun dried tomato paste instead of regular tomato paste. She’s good about that. Uses her eyes a lot ..she’s very expressive.
Occasionally she’ll have to run out of the kitchen to tighten up one of the cats that might have done something she doesn’t approve of, but mostly she’s right there. Ready to help. I couldn’t ask for a better sous chef.
Lucy’s Lamb Ragu
1 pound ground lamb
1 ounce pancetta, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
4 fat cloves garlic, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
Lots of coarsely ground black pepper and salt (not so much) to taste
2 cups canned San Marzano Italian tomatoes, whole, with their juice
½ cup dry white wine (I used vermouth)
2 good squeezes sun dried tomato paste
Small handful of chopped Italian parsley
½ cup pecorino Romano
Rigatoni
Heat olive oil in pan over moderate heat, when hot add the carrot, fennel and onion. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste.
When veggies are golden add the pancetta. When that is done, add the garlic and the rosemary and cook for about five minutes. Add ground lamb and cook until the meat is done. Add white wine and cook until the wine totally evaporates. Add the sun dried tomato paste and mix well then add the tomatoes and their juice. Lower heat and let simmer while you cook the pasta.
When ready to serve, stir in the cheese and the Italian parsley.
Serves 3. Two humans and a dog. Lucy gives it a four out of five paws.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Lamb shanks turn me on. Seriously. I see a recipe for lamb shanks and I’m there. A few Christmas‘s ago, I ordered ten lamb shanks for the family from Fresh Market and each was the size of my hand and halfway down my arm. I did a Mediterranean version with olives that was to die for. It did appear rather Henry VIII’ish on the plate…there was room for nothing else on the bone china. Pretty hilarious when you looked at the table, much less everyone in various stages of gnawing on their respective bones, or digging the marrow out with my great grandmother‘s silver, smearing the plate with their fingers.
I’ve done Moroccan takes on lamb shanks. I’ve substituted them for veal shanks in Osso Buco. I can eat a steak all day long. I just can’t do the veal thing anymore. It’s a neighbor’s fault. A good friend who has enough land to have cows in the suburbs and I drive past them four times a day. The big ones standing around in the field chewing and chewing and chewing, no problem. Fire up the grill.The little brown ones with the cute faces and gamboling around the fields. No way. Not going to do it. Thank God she doesn’t raise lamb.
When Whole Foods opened, Groom and I wandered in to make our appearance and check it out and they had beautiful lamb shanks very reasonably priced. Visions of Christmas past danced in my head and I started the recipe hunt. I didn’t want to do something I’d done before. I wanted interesting and different and even go so far as to get a bottle of wine specifically to go with the meal. I rarely do this, mainly because I usually don’t know what I am going to cook ahead of time. Being a Gemini, though, I do surprise myself sometimes.
2 one pound lamb shanks
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ large red onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup dry red wine ( I used Vigneti del Sole Montepulciano d‘Abruzzo 2006 a great dry red that is EASY on the pocketbook)
Fresh thyme
2 cups chicken stock
1 Serrano chili, finely diced
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat oil in large Dutch oven and season shanks on both sides with the salt and pepper. When oil is almost smoking, sear lamb on all sides for about 10 minutes till nicely browned. Remove from pan and add onion, carrot, celery and season with salt and pepper and cook about five minutes. Add wine and cook till reduced by half, three minutes. Add several sprigs of fresh thyme, stock and bring to boil. Cover it up, stick in oven and let cook till meat is very tender 2-2.5 hours.
Remove shanks and tent to keep warm with foil. Strain sauce into medium saucepan and put on high heat. Add Serrano chili and sugar and cook till reduced to sauce consistency (coats spoon) takes about 20 minutes. Add vinegar and cook one minute and season.
8 ounces chanterelle mushrooms (I couldn’t find fresh this weekend and substituted dried, reconstituted in hot water for 30 minutes)
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
The other half of the red onion you used in the lamb, coarsely chopped
1.5 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
A couple of tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted.
Preheat oven 425. Roast sweet potato till soft about 45 minutes.
When cool enough to handle peel it and smash it up.
While sweet potato is roasting, toss mushrooms small baking dish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper . Roast till golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Bring six cups water to boil heat remaining olive oil and 2 tbs butter in medium pot over medium high heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper and cook till soft. About four minutes. Add rice and toss to coat in the mixture and cook for two minutes. Add wine and boil until completely reduced, takes about three minutes. Add two cups of the boiling water and cook, stirring until its’ absorbed. Keep adding one cup of water at a time and cook, stirring until nearly all of the liquid is absorbed. Rice should be al dente in about 30 minutes. Stir in sweet potato puree and add 2 tablespoons butter and parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper and fold in the pine nuts and the roasted chanterelles..plenty of leftovers if you do this recipe and serve 2.
