Little Lamb, who made thee (and how)

The Francophile has returned from a visit to his naturopath with the announcement that he needs to eat more red meat, particularly lamb. Menus here have generally been dominated by chicken, and I must say that the Francophile's chicken stir fries and Thai curries are wonderful. However, I welcome a change toward more red meat, and plan to dust off some lamb recipes that have been languishing.

I'd be interested to hear about people's favourite lamb recipes. Care to share?

Mmmm... Good quality lamb needs little to enliven it to me. A good rack of lamb, some salt and pepper and a broiler -- yum. Or a leg of lamb into which you make numerous incisions with a boning knife into which you insert slivers of garlic before roasting. Or, a boned leg of lamb, butterflied and coated with a mixture of EVOO, whatever fresh herbs you have at hand and a clove of garlic, all macerated in a mortar and pestle, then cooked over an open fire.

Mark Lipton

Now that things are cooling off, I tend to crave braised lamb shanks.

Hi Matilda,

I love this recipe from Cooking Light magazine. Instead of round or pork, I use 1 pound of ground lamb.

Lion's Head Meatballs in Spicy Coconut Sauce


Sauce:
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced hot red chile pepper
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

Meatballs:
1 pound ground round or ground pork
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced hot red chile pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind


To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

To prepare meatballs, combine ground pork and next 9 ingredients (pork through salt) in a large bowl, and shape mixture into 8 meatballs. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cook 7 minutes, browning on all sides. Drain well.

Place sauce in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Garnish with basil and rind.

Matilda, Hi....

If you're into doing a whole lamb (sans tete in the name of aesthetics) on the spit, let me know. I'll be delighted to post my recipe.

Best
Rogov

I'm very fond of seekh (minced meat) kebabs with lamb or goat meat - minced meat mixed with cumin, coriander seed, ground chilli, finely chopped red pepper, ginger and onion and then bound with a little gram flour. Really great to roast on skewers (and in winter I'll also cook it on a flat pan inside).

That said my all-time favourite lamb dish is the Xin-Jiang style lamb with cumin that I see in a few Szechuan places. I'm yet to figure out how to make that dish, but it's something I always look for on the menu in any Szechuan restaurant and when done well it is quite amazing.

Matilda, one of my favorite lamb dishes is the Greek Kleftiko, not too difficult to do, very tasty and satisfying, and it has a back story to go with it.

Shel, could you share a recipe? I love Greek/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern-styled lamb dishes. If it's not too hard to do I'd love to try my hand at it some time soon (especially given the increasingly cold weather here).

Shel, could you share a recipe? I love Greek/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern-styled lamb dishes. If it's not too hard to do I'd love to try my hand at it some time soon (especially given the increasingly cold weather here).

Sure, will do it as a separate thread and apologize as can't get to it until tomorrow.

Hi Matilda
Here are a few of our favourites.
I liked the title of your post, I have a little cookbook entitled Mary bought a Little Lamb and this is how she cooked it!


LAMB SPARERIBS

("Recipe" provided by producer at farmer's market)

500 g lamb spareribs (riblets)
Spanish onion
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Sweet chili Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sweet sherry

Cook lamb (do not use any oil), then cook onion in same pan.
Pour off fat , add remaining ingredients to pan and cook down until sticky then reheat lamb in the sauce turning to coat well.


MERQUEZ RISSOLES
(serves 6-8)
Can use for sausages etc
It seems busy but can be done in easy stages.

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 stick cinammon
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon harissa
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons sa1t
1/2 orange, zest of
100 milliliters olive oil
1 egg
1 1/4 kilograms minced lamb
tomato sauce
1 onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 16 oz. can tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon harissa
1 teaspoon honey
1 pinch salt

TOMATO SAUCE
Sweat onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and cook a bit longer. Addcanned and fresh tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat add the harissa, honey and salt and stir. Reheat to serve.
MERQUEZ
Crush the garlic with the salt.
Blend or pound the spices .
In a bowl mix the spices, harissa, crushed garlic, orange zest and olive oil
Stir the spice mix and the egg into the minced lamb, and ensure that the spices are well incorporated.
Fry a small amount of the mix to test for seasoning.
Then use as required.

eg Roll the mixtures into small balls, dust with flour and panfry for a few minutes until lightly browned.
Heat the tomato sauceto simmering and add the rissoles and cook gently for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

eg roll in caul fat, pan fry and serve with a wedge of lemon.

eg stuff into sausage casings


RACK OF LAMB WITH DUMPLINGS


(serves 4)
2 racks of lamb
200 milliliters lamb stock
50 grams miso
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake
TO SERVE
30 grams butter
4 baby bok choy
CHERRY DUMPLINGS (see recipe)

Preheat oven to 200 C
Place racks in baking dish and roast for 8 minutes, then rest for 2 minutes.
Make the sauce. Put stock miso and soy in pan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the miso. Cook for 2 minutes then remove from heat, stir in the sake and keep warm.
Melt butter in frying pan and saute bok choy until just tender.
Place bok choy on plates, pour over the sauce and lay sliced racks on top. Arrange steamed dumplings on plate.

VARIATIONS
Use chopped mushrooms (cooked in the stock) in the dumplings and use mushroom flavoured stock for sauce
Rice cake as base if liked.


SOUR CHERRY DUMPLINGS1 tablespoon lard
These are a touch finicky but worth the effort for a special dinner.

250 milliliters water
100 grams wheat starch, (wheaten cornflour)
1 cup sour cherries, drained
Put lard and water in pan and bring to the boil.
Put the starch in a bowl and pour in hot water mix.
Mix to a paste with a wooden spoon add more starch if too wet.
Place in freezer bag anad set aside to rest 10 minutes (or longer)
Roll out pieces of the dough into rounds, place a spoonful of cherries in the centre and fold over and press edges together to seal.
Steam for 10 minutes

VARIATION
Use cooked mushrooms and spring onion mix instead of cherries

RACK OF LAMB WITH MUSTARD AND HERBS
(serves 4)
2 racks of lamb, (6-8 chops)
4 cloves garlic, (crushed)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh brown breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
pinch of thyme and marjoram
salt and pepper

1. Remove skin and most of fat from lamb.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and spread thinly over the outside of the lamb.
3. Roast in hot oven 220C for 20-25 minutes (longer for well done).
4. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes.
5. Carve into individual chops for serving.

Thanks for the recipes and suggestions, guys.
Although plain roasted or grilled lamb is a thing of joy, I'm keen to try some different approaches. Input much appreciated.

Now that things are cooling off, I tend to crave braised lamb shanks.

Mike, I have a recipe for "lamb shanks Osso Buco style" that is a great entrée for a fall/cool weather type meal. I could forward it if you would like to see it. Like you, I am hankering for a dish like this, and since we have had a killing frost, it's just a matter of days.

Now that things are cooling off, I tend to crave braised lamb shanks.

Mike, I have a recipe for "lamb shanks Osso Buco style" that is a great entrée for a fall/cool weather type meal. I could forward it if you would like to see it. Like you, I am hankering for a dish like this, and since we have had a killing frost, it's just a matter of days.

I'd say go ahead and post it, Bob! I've made several versions but I'm always up for another.

Thanks!

Now that things are cooling off, I tend to crave braised lamb shanks.

Mike, I have a recipe for "lamb shanks Osso Buco style" that is a great entrée for a fall/cool weather type meal. I could forward it if you would like to see it. Like you, I am hankering for a dish like this, and since we have had a killing frost, it's just a matter of days.

I'd say go ahead and post it, Bob! I've made several versions but I'm always up for another.

Thanks!

OK, this is a bit long, and it takes some time to do, but it is so good I don't mind the work.
Lamb Shanks, Osso Buco-Style



2 SERVINGS

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use EVOO)
2 lamb shanks (1 1/4 pounds each), fat trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
Three 3-inch-long strips of orange zest (optional, I omit)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley (I use dried )

1. Preheat the oven to 325░. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the
lamb shanks, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until well browned all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a large roasting pan. Pour off the fat.

2. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet. Add the garlic, onions, carrots and celery and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil over moderately high heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, orange zest, oregano and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture over the lamb and cover with foil. Braise in the oven for about 3 hours, or until the lamb shanks are very tender.

3. Increase the oven temperature to 350░. Transfer the lamb shanks to a large, deep baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and keep warm. Pour the sauce and vegetables into a large saucepan; discard the strips of orange zest. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat, skimming the surface occasionally, until richly flavored, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour it over the lamb shanks.

4. Cover the dish of lamb shanks with foil and bake for about 10 minutes, or until they are heated through. Set a lamb shank on each plate and spoon some of the sauce over and alongside. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight. Spoon the cold fat from the surface and bring the lamb shanks to room temperature before reheating them in a 325░ oven for about 45 minutes.

SERVE WITH: Garlic mashed potatoes. Or with Rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes.

Made some lamb mince meatballs last night, baked in the oven in a sauce/marinade comprising ground cumin, ground coriander, ginger, paprika, turmeric, garlic, lemon zest, finely chopped dried apricots, vinegar and brown sugar. Served with steamed rice and steamed greens.

lets not forget about pickled tongue and broiled kidneys.

My current fave:

Lamb Ragù
adapted from anne burrell at centro vinoteca

1 large onion, chopped (or half a head of fennel)
2 carrots, chopped (big ones)
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
3 pounds ground lamb leg or shoulder
1 cup tomato paste
3 cups hearty red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Using a food processor, purée the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to a coarse paste.

2. Coat a large pan generously with olive oil and set over medium heat. Add the puréed vegetables, season with salt and cook until all the water has evaporated and the vegetables begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir frequently and be patient. (This is where the big flavors develop.)

3. Add the lamb, season generously with salt and cook until it is browned, about 25 to 30 minutes. (Brown food tastes good; don’t rush this step.)

4. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the red wine, rosemary and bay leaves. Cook at a lively simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Add the thyme bundle and enough water to cover the lamb by about 1 inch. Simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring and tasting frequently and adding more water as it evaporates. Skim the fat off the surface. Remove the bay leaves and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with al dente pasta and serve with grated Parmesan.