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Fast & Easy Dinner: Provençal Rack of Lamb

partysugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:50:41 -0700

Lots of nights, I crave roast chicken because it's simple and intensely comforting. However, I live alone, and unless I have someone over, cooking an entire chicken seems a bit wasteful. That's why I've taken to roasting rack of lamb instead. It's available in smaller quantities, and when I'm by myself, it feels like a special treat. In this recipe, the lamb is rubbed with a fresh-herb garlic paste before being roasted with tomatoes and potatoes in the oven. The resulting meal is delicious, rewarding, and, with a glass of red wine, wonderfully luxurious. To look at the recipe, read more.

Provençal Rack of Lamb
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium tomatoes, halved
1 (1-pound) frenched rack of lamb (4 to 8 chops, depending on size), cut in half
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (1/3 cup)
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir together with herbs and 1 tablespoon oil.
Put tomatoes cut sides up in an oiled small baking dish and drizzle with a third of garlic mixture. Roast until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, pat lamb dry and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown lamb on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and discard oil from skillet.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over medium heat and cook shallots and potatoes, stirring occasionally, until edges are browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in water and half of remaining garlic mixture and remove from heat.
Rub remaining garlic mixture on fat side of lamb racks. Arrange lamb over potatoes and roast in oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat (do not touch bone) registers 130°F for medium-rare, 20 to 25 minutes.
Let stand, loosely covered, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with tomatoes.

Serves 2.

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Going on the Lamb

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:33:31 -0800

I'm not sure when it happened, but lamb has become one of my favorite meats to eat. I used to be weird about it, thinking it was far too gamy. However, I realized I was wrong. When prepared correctly, lamb can be absolutely delicious and positively tasty.

I've had this recipe for Cardamom-Scented Lamb With Mashed Sweet Potatoes in my to-make file for quite some time, and last night I finally got around to making it. It takes a little bit more time than a Fast & Easy Dinner, but if you're willing, it can definitely be accomplished on a school night. The meat is seared then finished in the oven, and the whole thing is served with a red-wine sauce. To get the recipe, read more.

While perfect on its own, I accompanied mine with the suggested mashed sweet potatoes and some lightly sautéed bok choy.

Cardamom-Scented Lamb With Mashed Sweet Potatoes
From Bon Appétit, December 1999

1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup canned beef broth
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth

2 tbsp. shelled cardamom seeds
2 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. racks of lamb, trimmed
2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 tsp. coarse-grained mustard
salt and pepper for seasoning
Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomato paste, garlic, and thyme; sauté 1 minute. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add both broths; boil until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toast cardamom seeds in heavy small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Cool. Transfer to spice grinder; grind coarsely. [I used a mortar and pestle.]
Sprinkle lamb with cardamom, salt and pepper.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add 1 lamb rack; sear until brown, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer lamb, meat side up, to baking sheet. Repeat with second lamb rack. [I was actually only using one lamb rack and so I seared it in my heavy oven-proof skillet, moved the lamb out, drained some of the oil - careful it's hot! - and then put the lamb back on the skillet instead of a separate baking sheet.]
Roast until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125°F for medium rare, about 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Cut lamb between bones into chops.
While chops are roasting: Bring sauce to simmer. Reduce heat to low. Add butter and mustard; whisk just until butter melts. Season with pepper.
Spoon sauce onto plates.
Top with sweet mashed potatoes and lamb and serve. [I also lightly sautéed thin strips of bok choy, and wrapped them around the plated sauce. Seen in top photo.]

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TV Dinners: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - Rack of Lamb with Cherry Glaze

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 03:11:12 -0800

A few weeks ago, I got an email asking about the meal that Matthew McConaughey prepares for Kate Hudson in the film, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. I thought it would be a fun thing to look into, but I had actually never seen the film before. So imagine my surprise when I turned on my TV last week and that exact scene was on! I'm not sure what channel the TV was left on, but I could not believe the coincidence. During the scene, in case you haven't seen the movie, McConaughey prepares an elaborately beautiful roasted lamb with cherry glaze only to have Hudson declare she is a vegetarian. I know that she's trying to lose him, but anyone that could turn down such gorgeous food is crazy (especially since she wasn't really a vegetarian).

Now this recipe isn't an after work whip it up affair. But if you've got time and are trying to impress someone, then go ahead and give this recipe a try. For a delicious rack of lamb with a merlot glaze and cherry reduction sauce, read more

Rack of Lamb with a Merlot Glaze and Cherry Reduction Sauce
From Recipezaar

2 cups merlot or other red wine
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted (or bottled morello cherries)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
4 cups lamb stock or chicken stock
1 tbsp unsalted butter
salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 (750 ml) bottle merlot
1 1/2 cups good quality balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped

4 lamb racks, excess fat trimmed and bones frenched (1 1/2 to 2 lbs. each)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
rosemary sprigs, for garnish

1. To prepare the sauce; combine the wine, cherries, garlic and shallot in a saucepan over high heat and reduce until the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the stock, decrease the heat to medium, and reduce until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the butter and stir until melted.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.
6. Preheat oven to 300*F.
7. To prepare the glaze, combine the wine, vinegar, shallot and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce until about 1/2 cup liquid remains, 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Set aside until you are ready to use it.
9. To prepare the lamb, season the racks well with salt and pepper.
10. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat until smoking hot.
11. Add as many of the racks as will fit without overcrowding the pan, meat side down, and sear well, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a sheet pan.
12. Continue searing the remaining racks.
13. Baste the racks well with the glaze.
14. Set the pan in the oven and roast, basting every 5 minutes, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 135*F for medium-rare doneness about 20 minutes.
15. Remove the racks from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes, then slice.
16. To serve, place the slices on a warm serving platter and drizzle with some of the sauce.
17. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve warm, with any extra sauce on the side.

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Serve with roasted potatoes and carrots.

Must-Read: Lobel's Meat Bible

YumSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:00:03 -0700

I have a confession to make. Although a good number of you are vegetarians, and even more of you eat less meat now that we're in a recession, I still crave meat on a regular basis - whether it's a lamb chop, slice of jamon Iberico, or charcuterie. So when I received a copy of Lobel's Meat Bible ($40), a new book by revered New York butcher brothers Stanley, Evan, Mark, and David Lobel, I couldn't wait to check it out. See what I thought of it when you read more

Must-Read: Ten

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:00:54 -0800

Sheila Lukins, food editor for Parade magazine and author of the The New Basics and The Silver Palate Cookbook, is known for her all-encompassing books, which are packed with reliable recipes for traditional American fare. Her seventh recipe collection, entitled Ten: All the Foods We Love and Ten Recipes For Each ($19.95), combines cooking expertise with an unconventional format: 32 chapters on her favorite foods, with 10 recipes for each. See what I thought of it when you read more.

Pros:

The contemporary format is a refreshing departure from the organization of an ordinary cookbook.
There's an impressive collection of recipes for each category. Love roasted chicken? You'll find 10 recipes, side by side in the same book, for you to compare and contrast.
Each chapter contains a helpful introduction, and Lukins includes a background summary for every single recipe in the book.
Much like her other cookbooks, Ten contains a wide repertoire of dishes from cocktails to sorbets.

Cons:

Recipes, which range from simple to complex, aren't ideal for the beginner cook.
If you're a visual cook, you'll get little help here, as there are few pictures.
The book is paperback, which means that it will be subject to lots of wear and tear if you cook with it frequently.

Recipes: The recipes are arranged into 32 categories. Here are some I hope to experiment with:

Cocktails: Honeydew Daiquiri, Floradora
Spreads, Dips, and Finger Foods: Sugar-and-Spice Nuts, Shrimp Toasts
Small Plates: Celeri Rémoulade, Salmon Caviar-Stuffed Eggs
Chops: Lamb Loin with Orange Béarnaise, Rack of Veal
Chicken - Roasted and Baked: Herb-Roasted Chicken, Zuni Roast Chicken
Lobster Anytime: Lobster Fra Diavolo, Creamy Lobster Stew
Leafy Salads: Beet and Endive Salad, Frisée and Apple Salad
Corn: Summer Corn Chowder, Corn and Crabmeat Salad
Ice Cream and Sorbets: Bill Gross's Burnt Orange Ice Cream, Green Apple Sorbet

Imagery: The book is short on images, but the select few in the beginning are enough to inspire.

Overall Rating: If you're a more experienced cook and a fan of Sheila's recipes, you're bound to enjoy this collection of recipes. To get a better preview of the book's format, click on the gallery below.

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Must-Read: Cooking With All Things Trader Joe's

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:15:20 -0800

Trader Joe's is one of those love it or hate it topics. Personally, I am in love with it. So earlier this year, when I spotted this book in a Borders window, I literally ran inside to look at it.

Cooking With All Things Trader Joe's ($24.95) is not the official cookbook of Trader Joe's grocery stores - in fact, it has no affiliation with the supermarket chain. Rather, it was written by two devotees who wanted to create a recipe collection in which all ingredients could be found at Trader Joe's. To hear more about it, read more.

Pros:

Recipes are approachable for the beginner cook.
Recipes often make creative use of ingredients.
Each recipe is given an entire spread, including a full page picture.
The authors suggest wines (from Trader Joe's, naturally) that would pair well with recipes.
Hardcover cookbook is durable, looks nice on the shelf, and would make a nice gift.

Cons:

The recipes only call for Trader Joe's ingredients, many of which are unavailable elsewhere. This cookbook would be useless for anyone without a nearby Trader Joe's.
Ingredients could be phased out at any time. (For that reason, the cookbook makes plenty of suggestions for substitutions.)
Some dishes sound short on taste - I'll pass on the Dairy-Free Creamy Cashew Smoothie.

Recipes: The recipes are methodically organized. Some of my favorites:

Appealing Appetizers: Spicy Tropical Shrimp Boats
Soups, Salads, & Light Meals: Black Bean and Ricotta-Stuffed Portabellas, Le French Lentil Soup
Main Meals: Calamari Brodetto, Saag Paneer Lasagna
On the Side: Oven-Roasted Vegetables With Rosemary
Delicious Desserts: Saffron Ice Cream
Drinks: Sangria
Begin With Breakfast: Breakfast Crepes
Bachelor Quickies (heat-and-serve meals): Elegant Rack of Lamb with Vegetables and Apple Tart

Imagery: The images, which have not been edited in any way, are lush and enticing.

Overall Rating: Because this cookbook offers impressive-sounding, attractive dishes for minimal work, this book would be great for getting a beginner into the kitchen. If you're a Trader Joe's fan, you'll love this book. If you aren't, or don't have one near you, don't bother.

Do You Like Turkey?

partysugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:45:24 -0800

Today while in line for coffee, YumSugar revealed something very shocking: she doesn't like turkey and plans on cooking rack of lamb for Thanksgiving dinner. To make things more crazy, the man behind us in line said, "I don't like turkey either." I, on the other hand, love turkey. How about you?

What's Cooking at Slashfood

partysugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:46 -0700

Onigiri, Japanese rice balls, are delicious and cheap.
Can you build a bartender from scratch?
Make a gourmet Provencal rack of lamb dinner in just 30 minutes.
Celebrate National School Lunch Week!
The rising cost of beef may cause fast food chains to change their menus.
Eight delicious recipes for acorn squash.
Learn more about last weekend's Great American Beer Festival.

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Meeting Marcus Samuelsson

partysugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:20:16 -0700

Last week I was invited to a demonstration hosted by Chef Marcus Samuelsson. An awarding-winning chef and cookbook author, Samuelsson is known for his role as chef and owner of Aquavit, New York City's innovative restaurant devoted to Scandinavian cuisine. Taking inspiration from his Ethiopian roots, the chef recently opened his first African restaurant, Merkato 55. His love for African cuisine was illustrated at the demo where he cooked shrimp piri piri in lettuce wraps and rack of lamb with couscous. In San Francisco to promote BlueStar cooking ranges, Samuelsson took some time out of his hectic schedule to speak with me. To see where he likes to eat in San Francisco and hear what he has to say about his buddy Rocco DiSpirito, read more.

Samuelsson is friendly yet focused, personable yet professional. The chef, who was angered by buzzed, pretentious fans who interrupted our interview, clearly values respect, privacy, and consideration.

His favorite places to eat in San Francisco: Samuelsson enjoys the Ferry building and all it has to offer. He recommends "the Mexican food stand behind the building" because "it has the most amazing breakfast burrito." The Slanted Door and Coi are other favorites.
The difference between food in San Francisco and food in New York: Both cities are incredibly "magical in different ways." Out of the two, "New York has a true reflection of the world. The entire world is right there. However, New York doesn't have the same sort of relationship to farmers. The relationship, the bond that the chef has with farmers, that was started by Alice and the Berkeley hippies is still something that is very San Francisco."

The ingredients he can't live without: Anything in season. Samuelsson enjoys the farmers' markets and is quick to point out that New York City has over 42 farmers' markets.

On a typical night at Merkato: The restaurant is so new that he is focusing on communicating. It's his goal to teach everyone (the customers, his staff, food writers, the purveyors) the "elegant nuisances of African food." Although the majority of African ingredients can be found in 13 mom and pop stores, Samuelsson hopes that in the future African ingredients will be common and found in stores nationwide.

His tip for the everyday home cook: Understand the seasons. Look at food as you would clothes. Just as you wear certain things in the Winter and other things in the Summer, you should do the same with food. Even fish has seasons. If he were to serve a meal tonight, he would use wild salmon and pair it with delicious heirloom tomatoes. He says, "rather than try and make complicated dishes, make simple dishes that highlight the food that's in season."

What he thinks of his pal Rocco DiSpirito: Samuelsson feels Rocco is tragically misunderstood by the food industry. He believes Rocco is the best chef in America and is sad that one teeny mistake ruined his reputation as a chef. He's also confident that Rocco has what it takes to make a come back

After speaking with the chef, I was eager to get home and practice what he preached. The next time I'm in New York, I hope to eat at one of his restaurants.

Source

Was the Technique Challenge Unfair?

partysugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:05:37 -0700

On last night's episode of the Next Food Network Star, the remaining seven contestants faced challenges introduced by Tyler Florence and Iron Chef Michael Symon. With Tyler they had to create a 60 second video in which a culinary technique was explained. While some featured a simple skill like slicing a pineapple or trussing a chicken, others had to perform more difficult tasks like Frenching a rack of lamb and cleaning raw squid. Although I enjoyed the challenge - it clearly highlighted the contestants with culinary training - I couldn't help but wonder if it was a little unfair. What did you think?

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