My food magazines seem to pile up quickly these days so to encourage myself to sit down long enough to look at them, I make a small pile and carry them from one room to another thinking their physical presence will be a reminder.  It’s not an effective plan on most days for obvious reasons, such as, I’m busy doing other things?

But last Friday the sun unexpectedly graced us with its brilliance burning through the June Gloom, and I found myself daydreaming out the windows instead of doing the dishes, listening to the dribble of water from the fountain on our patio my husband diligently worked on to get the large spout at the top to run well enough to fill the smaller ones.  Will wonders never cease.  It’s a nice sound that distracts me from the traffic just over our wall and watching the hummingbirds trying to bathe themselves in it is hilarious.  I haven’t been able to get a shot of them yet, but give me a few weeks.

I give in to the urge to go out and sit in the warmth.  The sun feels good, so I relax a bit and begin to thumb through the magazines remembering how much I enjoy the summer issues.  Everything is fresh and the recipes are relatively uncomplicated.

It’s not long after I’ve had some time to make a mental list of my favorites that I email my best friend and invite myself and husband to dinner at her house.  It takes a bit of arm wrestling to get her to agree to let me make the entire dinner, but she loves the recipes I mention, so dinner it is.

I make a quick run to the store for ingredients, do some easy prep, and everything is ready to pack up and take to her house for a night of food that comes one dish at a time — with wine, of course.

When’s the last time you grilled lamb?  This recipe is truly delicious, and quite easy to make — even at the last minute.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Garlic, Chilies and Anchovies from Food & Wine

I used the little bundle of mint from one of my planters that always seems to have grown back after its last plucking by the time I next need it.

The recipe calls for 3 red jalapenos, and I didn’t think anything of that at first because they never seem to have that much heat.  But after cutting into one, I could smell the pungency, so only used one.

The chiles release all their spicy goodness into the oil.

Chop the rest of the ingredients up to make a nice paste.

Pour all the goodness over the lamb — or put it in a plastic bag so it can sit and soak up all the flavors.

We grilled the racks whole to sear them, but sadly, did not protect the very delicate bones with foil first.  Yes, we know we’re supposed to.  The grill master mentioned that they were actually on fire at one time.

After the racks were seared (uh, almost incinerated), and after much discussion, both racks were sliced into 2-bone chops and sent back to the grill for additional cooking.  Just a bit.

Thankfully, they were absolutely delicious.

Recipe Notes:

• The original recipe can be found here.
• If you’re thinking “Ewww…Anchovies!” try this.  Anchovies lend such great flavor to so many recipes. To me, they seem to enhance the other flavors.  If you’re not sure, then cut down on the quantity, but give them a try.  And when you take that first bite, think of what you’re eating instead of, “This has anchovies in it.”
• I marinated two whole racks of lamb for this recipe instead of individual chops, putting all ingredients into a zip-lock bag for about 3 hours.  It was enough.  Even using only 1 chile, we could taste just a hint of heat.
• For extra heat for those who enjoy it, grill extra chiles and slice them up for serving.  It’s a nice accompaniment to a bite of the succulent lamb.
• Why racks of lamb instead of the chops the recipe called for?  Lamb chops are so very tiny and tender.  I enjoy doing different things with racks of lamb, so searing them before moving on always presents a nice, tender product.  The idea of using the grill for those tiny things had trouble written all over it — especially considering the oil in the marinade which caused the flare up.  We grill quite often, but we’re not experts.  Wasting a lovely natural lamb product isn’t worth it.

I think the first time I heard anyone mention cassoulet, it was Martha Stewart years ago in the first version of her television show.  Outside of remembering that the main ingredients were white beans and a huge amount of meat for what could be classified as a one pot meal, I know she described it as one of her traditional holiday party menu items.  I also remember wondering how a preparing a pot of beans could be so involved.  Really?

Now I know.

To say that cassoulet is simply a bean stew or “dried beans and meat” is humorous because I grew up eating what could be called bean stew.  Beans go in a pot with few additional ingredients and not much attention.  Time goes by and a tasty dinner is served.  Bear in mind in this scenario, the bean to meat ratio is in favor of the legumes.  Cassoulet is anything but that, but I’m thinking it shouldn’t have to be.  At the same time, if I set out to make one of the many recipes I glanced at for “easy” cassoulet I’d feel I’d cheated somehow.  Perhaps I’d have something with flavor similar to cassoulet, but I’d miss out on what I often enjoy so much about tackling an involved recipe for the first time:  all the thinking I do.  There’s something very gratifying about methodically working through a recipe that takes some thought and effort.

I’ll confess this all began with a small jar of duck fat I brought back from England recently.  I saw it and knew it would remind me of all the possibilities, so tucked it well into my suitcase until we arrived home, then stored it in the fridge to think about.  Many traditional versions of cassoulet are made with duck fat, but I needed a recipe that wasn’t swimming in it, which means I would need to choose a recipe lacking in, well, duck – or more specifically, duck confit.  My little jar’s quantity wasn’t nearly enough to make that.

Some may say a duckless cassoulet is sacrilege, but I know the recipe I chose, which uses tomatoes and a bread crumb topping, could also invite that complaint.  Cassoulet is a dish originally from the Languedoc region in Southern France, with the towns of  Castelnaudary, Toulouse and Carcassonne all claiming credit for its creation and there are as many variations as there are village cooks in that region.  Originally, I’d considered floundering through a Toulouse Cassoulet until I came to my senses realizing I hadn’t the time I needed to construct it.

I made the cassoulet, but I confess that I did not break the “film” that develops over it while it cooks seven times, so evidently, I did not create anything perfect.  Rich, yes.  Perfect, no.  With respect to all that’s good about home cooking, and for someone like me who truly enjoys the process of constructing a dish like this, it’s a great reason to gather a group of special friends for a special meal just because.

Especially on a cold winter’s day.

Cassoulet for 12

For the Beans…

3-1/2 c. dried white beans

1/2 lb. fresh pork rind

1 lb. lean pork belly

bones reserved from pork loin

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

8 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs

4 fresh thyme springs

2 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1 tsp. salt

3-1/2 qt. water

For the Pork Loin…

1-1/2 to 2 lb. boneless pork loin, bones reserved, tied

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

2 T rendered pork, duck, or goose fat or olive oil

1 yellow onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine

For the Lamb…

2 T rendered pork, duck or goose fat or olive oil

2 lob. boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2″ cubes

1 yellow onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine

4 Toulouse or other well-seasoned pure pork sausages

For the Topping…

1-1/2 c. coarse dried bread crumbs

2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 c. rendered pork, duck, or goose fat, melted

Prepare the beans first.  Check for stones or bad beans, rinse and drain.  Pour into a medium sauce pan and cover with cold water by 3″.  Cook over high heat until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes until softened.

In another sauce pan, cover the pork rind and pork belly with cold water by 3″ and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.  Pour out the water and rinse with cold water twice.  Cut into 1/2″ cubes and set aside.

Prepare the lamb.  In a large heavy pot warm the fat or oil over high heat.  Add the lamb, browning on all sides, 5-8 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, and spices, mixing well.  Add the wine to the mixture and reduce the heat to low, cooking about 1-1/2 hours until meat is tender.

To prepare the pork loin, rub well with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary.  In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot, heat the fat or olive oil over high heat and brown the pork loin on all sides — about 8 minutes in all.  To the pot, add onions and garlic, stirring for 1-2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and 1-1/2 c. of the wine, reduce heat to low and cover, cooking until meat is tender, about 1 hour.

Prepare beans.  In a large pot, place softened beans, pork rind, pork belly, bones from the loin, onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, and salt.  Pour in 3-1/2 water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn the heat to low, and cook for about 1 hour, uncovered.

Once the pork loin is ready, remove it from the pan and add it to the bean pot.  To the remaining pork juices, deglaze the pan over high heat by adding the remaining 1-1/2 c. white wine making sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom.  Boil the liquid until reduced by half, then pour into the bean pot.

When the lamb is ready, scoop out pieces with a slotted spoon and add to the bean pot.  Set the remaining lamb cooking liquid  aside.  Now add the sausages to the beans as well and continue cooking the entire pot for an additional 30 minutes.

While the bean and meat mixture is cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

When the bean and meat mixture is finished cooking, remove the pork loin, pork belly and sausages from the beans to a cutting board and cut them into 1/2″ pieces.  Set aside.  With a slotted spoon, remove lamb pieces from the beans to the same plate.  In a 3-1/2 to 4 qt. baking dish or oven proof sauce pan, add a 1″ layer of beans to cover the bottom of the pan.  Add a layer of mixed meat pieces, making sure to distribute types evenly.  Cover the meat mixture with another layer of beans, add another layer of mixed meats, and finish with a layer of beans.

Carefully pour in the lamb juices and enough bean broth to barely cover the top layer of the cassoulet.  Mix the breadcrumbs and parsley, then sprinkle evenly over the top of the cassoulet.  Finish by drizzling the duck or goose fat over the crumb topping.  Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes until a crust has formed.  At that time, use a large spoon to break through the crust, spoon out some broth and pour over the crust.  Bake an additional 15 minutes, and repeat.  Bake until crust is richly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Notes:

• Printable recipe version.

• The recipe I used was adapted from Georgeanne Brennan’s Savoring France which is a Williams-Sonoma publication — a beautiful book I have enjoyed for years.  The list of ingredients above is written exactly as published, but I’ve resorted the directions for the recipe to an order which I strongly believe streamlines the process now that I’ve tried it.

• There were many contenders for my first venture in making cassoulet:

• Martha Stewart’s Cassoulet for 100 (immediately disqualified for obvious reasons) from The Martha Stewart Cookbook (1995 1st ed).  Not only did I lack 94 mouths to feed, I can’t imagine where I’d get the pots, pans, and refrigerator space to create a dish like this for that many, starting with the 16 pounds of beans.  Goodness.
• Julia Child’s “Cassoulet de Porc et Mouton” from Mastering the Art of French Cooking is very similar to the Brennan version (or vice versa) I made.  The biggest differences are:  1) roasting the pork loin, which makes much more sense to me than braising considering it’s a lean cut of meat; and 2) an included recipe for homemade sausage cakes instead of traditional Saucissed de Toulouse, which although tasty sounding, would only require more time and better planning.   She does provide additional variations or substitutions which are great.  But Julia is always great, isn’t she?
• As much as I truly wanted to try Paula Wolfert’s “Toulouse-Style Cassoulet” from Food & Wine, it was even more involved than the one I chose, and required more than a day to construct.  I knew this after having tagged it when it was first published, but in the end, I went with a cassoulet that could be prepared and eaten in one day.  Take the time to peruse her list of ingredients as a comparison.  It’s an interesting variation.
• The New Jersey Monthly published executive chef Dominique Filoni’s “Cassoulet Toulousain” earlier this year and I like the sound of it quite a bit, but couldn’t pull off the duck confit in the time I had.  It’s definitely one to save for later.
• Here’s a version published in the New York Times in 1992 which also includes the duck confit.  It caught my eye because the ingredient list is somewhat uncomplicated.
• Etienne Rousselot’s Cassoulet as published in a Saveur adaptation is the version I will experiment with next, and there will be a next time.  The ingredient list is manageable, it contains the duck confit, and serves fewer.  I like the head of garlic in the mix, as well as the use of ham hocks.  I love ham hocks.
• I did scan quite a few French translations just to consider authenticity, and although the ingredient lists and directions seemed much more simple, some things seemed to get lost in the translation and I wasn’t feeling that adventuresome.
• If you’re someone who just doesn’t get the whole point of spending a day or two — or three — constructing a pot of food for dinner, and wonder why cooking always seems so complicated, here are links for quick and easy cassoulet — 27,000 of them.  I have my own version of this coming soon inspired by a dish I enjoyed at The Crown Inn in Linton, Cambridgeshire, England when we were there this past October.  I asked the waiter if the chef might share the recipe, but never got response.  Oh well, right?

Spring for many who crave slow roasted savory dishes can mean that it’s time for lamb — especially when there’s a special occasion to consider such as Easter.  For my family, however, this wasn’t the case.  Our tradition was far from a special dinner at home and a table set with my great grandmother’s china.  No, we were the more adventuresome type.

If my mother was successful in her relentless attempts to get my father out of bed, we’d try and make it to early service.  My mother was an amazing seamstress, so picture three perfectly dressed children (the girls in matching dresses, of course) with brand new shoes, Easter hats, and not a hair out of place, all waiting for the man of the house to get up so their day could begin. There was more than one reason to make that early service.  Father K. did the mass first on Sunday, and he was quite efficient, so rarely did the service last even an hour.  If we didn’t make the first service, then we would attend Father B’s mass which inevitably took much, much longer.  That service was always packed, too, so often we ended up sitting in the back or upstairs, and with no padded rails to kneel on.

First thing in the morning, we’d see the Easter baskets placed at the end of our beds full of candy and goodies, the best of which was usually a large chocolate foil wrapped bunny.  Each basket had exactly the same contents, because my little sister kept track and usually let my mother know it was a problem.  These baskets of goodies came in handy for what was usually a long drive after church, searching for the perfect spot to have our annual Easter picnic.  Every year the group was a bit different, but every year, we were on the road, picnic food wrapped and ready to eat sometime after the giant egg hunt.  We hunted real eggs — eggs that we’d colored ourselves, and then after finding them would end up as deviled eggs.

But lamb was nowhere to be found on the menu for that occasion.  So it wasn’t until well into adulthood that I finally tasted lamb.  Although I still don’t serve lamb as much as I do other meats, I am learning more about which cut to prepare, how to prepare it and with which flavors.

When I saw the meaty lamb shanks at our local Henry’s, I wasn’t looking for them, but had to have them knowing I’d put them to good use.  It didn’t take long to find the perfect recipe.  Absolutely perfect.

Braised Lamb Shanks in a Tomato Herb Sauce

To prepare the lamb shanks…

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
2 lg. lamb shanks, about 3 lbs. total

For the braise…

1-1/2 tsp.  olive oil
2 oz. thick bacon, cut into thin strips
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2  small strips lemon peel
1  bay leaf
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 c. dry white wine
1 c. diced tomatoes in puree, canned
3/4 c. good chicken broth

For the gremolata:

4-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley, flat-leafed
1-1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp.  freshly cracked black pepper

Mix first 6 ingredients well and rub over the shanks. Let stand at room temp for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F and position a rack in the lower third.

In a lidded oven proof pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shanks and sauté, turning until brown, about 1o minutes; remove from pan. In the same pan, over medium heat, cook the sliced bacon 1 minute. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, stir to mix and cover.  Cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute. Then mix in lemon peel, bay leaf, and thyme. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits collected on the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, then return lamb to the pot. Bring to boil again; cover and transfer the pot to the oven.

Cook the shanks until just tender, turning occasionally, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and tilt pot to spoon off any fat that is on the surface of the sauce. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a slow boil,  uncovered until sauce reduces enough to coat a spoon and lamb is very tender, about 20 – 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the lamb is in the oven, mix the parsley,  lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl for the gremolata. Transfer the lamb to a large shallow bowl and sprinkle with gremolata to serve.

Notes:

• This is a fabulous recipe.  It has a very Mediterranean flavor overall and is extremely tender.  There seem to be quite a few steps when the recipe is read through the first time, but they’re all very straigh forward steps and easy to accomplish.
• The original recipe called for capocollo or pancetta, but I had bacon on hand.  As much as I am a fan of bacon, it would be easy to leave out, add some olive oil instead of the rendered fat from the bacon and procede with the recipe.  Additionally, vegetable broth could be used instead of chicken broth.
• If you’re making this for a special occasion (instead of to feed your exhausted husband at 9:30 pm like I did…) it’s easy to prepare the other dinner items while the lamb is in the oven.  The last “boil” on the stovetop allows for last minute prep on other menu items.  We enjoyed ours with a basmati rice blend that we love.  We poured some of the sauce over the rice and it was perfect!
• These shanks were huge.  We each only ate half, so I’ve got plenty of leftovers and am looking for something with pasta….
• The original recipe, made with four shanks, can be found at epicurious. I simply split the recipe.

Here are a few photos from over the years connected with Spring and Easter.  Those certainly were the days.

My mother lost the battle and let me keep my Easter shoes on.

Easter in Spain 1964: Somewhere in the countryside. Caught snacking.

Ready for Church: Yes, my sister and I had matching clothes.

My mother to my two older boys: Look. They're right in front of you.

My youngest age 5

Yes, I took photos of my food then, too.

It's raining here today, so I'm as subdued as the grey skies.  After two mornings of very early morning walks as I attempt to get back into the "I, too, can be fit!" swing of things, I'm content to sit in the quiet sipping my coffee.  Thoughts come and go but hover around memories of our trip to the UK a few years go — the winding roads in Wales, ancient castle ruins tucked between soft green hills, engaging after dinner conversation with local farmers at an old country house, and Pub food. 
 

Last night, my husband's parents came by for an impromptu celebration in honor of my mother-in-law's birthday, and it seemed perfect to make a shepherd's pie.  I love to cook for them, and for years, they've indulged my culinary whims.  When we get together, inevitably, talk turns to travel, and specifically travel to the UK.  My father-in-law has always wanted to go, and so he graciously indulges us yet another sharing of our time there as we think of ways to get him there before too much longer.  He's 80 now. 

Of course the talk turns to food and a pub we enjoyed in Bath.  I don't remember the name of it because we made several attempts before we found one that would allow us to enter, my husband talking to someone inside while my son and I waited on the street.  Although pubs are more accepting of children than they used to be, not all of them are, and it was mortifying to my son that his presence caused us to have to search.  I felt badly for him knowing I would have been embarrassed as well. Finally we found one, and were led to the back, away from the bar to a small room.  So much for my romantic notions of cozy tables, old plastered walls and a roaring fire, no matter if it was the middle of summer with temperatures so uncharacteristically hot that everyone was talking about it.

Thank goodness for the waiter who indulged my husband with good-natured humor in answering a question about the rules of Cricket. He chided us about ordering "extra cold" beer and served us a meal of Shepherd's Pie that was truly memorable. 

Shepherd's Pie is a traditional English dish made of minced meat — usually lamb — and vegetables, then covered with mashed potatoes before baking.  If the dish contains beef, then it's referred to as a Cottage Pie.  Regardless, it's comfort food at its best, and one that will leave you smiling well into the evening after the plates have been cleared from the table.  You may have to waddle to bed, however, because it's quite filling.

Cottage Pie

For the filling…
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. lean ground pork
3/4 lb. ground sirloin
3/4 lb. ground lamb
1 c. onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 c. celery, chopped
2 zucchini, diced
1 large leek, light green and while parts only, sliced and rinsed
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. water
1 T concentrated tomato paste
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 c. beef broth
salt and pepper to taste

For the topping…
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
3 T unsalted butter
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium sauce pan, add the milk, cream, butter, and rosemary over low heat, stirring occasionally until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and allow to sit at least 20-30 minutes.

In a large pan, cover the potatoes with water, add a couple large pinches of salt to the water, and put a lid on the pan.  Heat over high until the potatoes begin to boil, then turn the heat down to a low simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the ground meat, allowing it to begin to brown before stirring.  After the meat is browned, pour it into a bowl and set is aside. 

If necessary, add another T of olive oil tot the pan.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, and water.  Stirring occasionally, cook over medium heat until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and leeks, stirring to incorporate, and continue to cook until the mixture is browned. 

Return the ground meat to the pan and mix well.  Add the tomato paste, and stir well.  Sprinkle flour over the mixture and let cook for at least a minute, stirring to make sure all the flour is mixed in.  Pour in the beef broth and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Allow to simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.  Taste and correct seasonings.

While the meat mixture simmers, mash the potatoes.  Remove rosemary sprig from the milk mixture and pour the milk into the mashed potatoes.  Mix well, and correct seasonings.

Lightly rub olive oil on the inside of a large casserole and pour in the meat mixture.  Spoon dollops of mashed potatoes over the surface, and with a fork, lightly spread the potatoes to cover.  Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbling and top is golden brown.

Notes:

• If you've been reading here for any length of time, then you know I'm a reasonably diverse cook.  I'm horribly critical of what I produce, though.  It's rare that I don't like something I've made, but the times I've been truly wowed are few and far between.  This was one of those times.  I loved this dish.  It was piping hot, and so flavorful, I know not much time will pass before I want to try it again.  That almost never happens around here.  The only thing that would have made the meal more fun is being able to say "Cheers!" with glasses of Guinness or Boddington's.
• The inspiration for this recipe comes from Chef Tom Aikens whose recipe for Shepherd's Pie was featured in the January 2009 issue of Food & Wine.
• Continuing with my quest to use what I have on hand as much as possible, the biggest difference in the recipe was my mixture of meat.  I'd had some ground lamb in the freezer already browned and seasoned, so incorporated that with the other meat to create this very meaty dish.
• My veggie drawer is in much better shape than it's been in the past, so I was able to put the celery and carrots to good use in this even though both were a bit on the less than crisp side.  I had some snap peas and though about adding those, but decided there was plenty of veg in the mix.  
• I liked the mushrooms in this.  If you wanted to go meatless, bump up the mushrooms or use a mixture.  Plus, the original recipe calls for 2 turnips, so that would be quite substantial.
• This fed six hungry people large servings, but could easily feed 8.

To many, Spring represents a promise of warmth to come, a freshness in the air and longer days that allow for relaxation.  To us, it marks the beginning of the end of the busy season at my husband’s office.  No spring break here.  So what do the two things call for in our house?  Slow Food.

I’ve been reading quite a bit about the Slow Food movement lately, considering that who I am as a cook is what it advocates:

Living the slow life with food as the focus is as rewarding as it is
easy, and it can be done daily by each one of us. Ultimately, it is
about pleasure and taste, knowledge and choice. Once we begin to take
an interest in the enjoyment of food, and in finding out where our food
comes from, we can begin to see the effects of these choices.

I completely agree.

So when I saw the lamb shanks in the case a week ago at the grocery store, I didn’t hesitate to put them in my basket knowing I’d find something wonderful to cook them with.  Something slow and relaxed. Delicious. Comforting.  Something to help soothe my husband’s tummy as he presses on for another month.

And coincidentally, Ben at What’s Cooking? is hosting his second Food for Plastic Challenge with a focus on Springtime faire.  As usual, I’m trying to squeeze in under the wire which is today, but that isn’t because I waited until today to actually cook my dish. It’s been in the works for a few days to celebrate the art of patience, knowing that if I followed the recipe’s suggestion for "make ahead" allowing the lamb shanks to luxuriate in their braising liquid in the fridge for a couple of days, it would send our taste buds singing into foodie heaven.

That’s exactly what happened.

The recipe for "Braised Lamb Shanks with Trahana Pasta and Ricotta Salata" by executive chef Pano Karatassos was originally published in Food & Wine in 2005 and billed as something "expat chefs eat when they’re homesick."  How could I ignore that recommendation?  Besides, it’s packed with  lovely herbs like thyme, dill, parsley, and chives.  And there is that garlic…

I followed the recipe linked above with the following changes:

1)  I used 4 shanks and cut the rest of the ingredients in half to feed 4.
2)  Brown the shanks in the pan you expect to braise them in, removing them from that pan while sauteeing  onion, garlic, and thyme in the butter.
3)  Add the shanks back to the pan with the onion mixture before adding stock.
4)  After the cooking time, cool briefly, then place in fridge well-covered for 2 days.
5)  Turn shanks over in the braising liquid before reheating at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
6)  I used a can of Italian style crushed tomatoes instead of pureed tomatoes.
7)  I used the recommended couscous because I had no idea where to get trahana pasta.

Notes:  This was an exceptional dish.  The couscous was very flavorful with the great combination of tomato and lemon juice really standing out.  The cinnamon flavor added a nice touch without being pronounced, although my son noticed and couldn’t quite identify the spice.

The lamb is exceptionally tender and comes off the bone easily –  moist and rich in flavor.  Very satisfying.

This is the third lamb recipe I’ve made in less than a year, and for someone who grew up not ever having had lamb, I can say that it just keeps getting better and better.

Simply fabulous!

Although I’ve ventured out quite a bit as a cook from the food I was raised on, there are still some things I steer clear of.  I’m not sure what causes it, because I am a semi-adventuresome foodie (nothing like Anthony Bourdain, of course…) and enjoy trying new types of cuisine.  But I wouldn’t exactly call lamb cuisine.  It’s meat.  Plain and simple.  And in my life I believe I’ve only eaten it once or twice — not exactly looking forward to either of those occasions. Even though on each of those occasions, the dinner was very good, I still found myself avoiding lamb for absolutely no valid reason.

So when I was cruising through the grocery store and spotted the perfect little Frenched rack of lamb, I decided to try it.  I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but I’d seen so many recipes for lamb recently, I knew it wouldn’t be too difficult to find something.  And I was right.  But it wasn’t one of the magazine recipes I’d expected to make.  I’d waited too long one day to decide what to make for dinner, and so conducted a quick Google search to peruse my procrastinator’s options.

I’m quite surprised to say, that not only was this recipe excellent, my attitude about lamb has changed.  Go figure.  Tender, juicy, and very flavorful.  Plus, it was a very quick and lovely meal — definitely on the fancy side of things that I would serve at a special dinner in a second because it presents extremely well, and it would allow me to spend more time on a dessert.

The recipe I used for Roasted Rack of Lamb can be found here.  I don’t usually find myself looking at this site since I have so many magazines and usually depend on Epicurious, but this recipe has be reconsidering my habits!

Notes: To make the fresh bread crumbs, I used an egg bun I had for hamburgers that was a bit stale.  I used 2 large and 3 small cloves of garlic.  In the finishing stages of cooking in the oven, I took the rack out at 15 minutes as the herb crust was beginning to get very brown.  But no worries.  I’m a medium rare kind of person, so this was cooked perfectly to me.

We enjoyed it with orzo in a bit of olive oil and garlic.

And my Greek style salad with micro greens added.