Delicious Lamb for Passover AND Easter

   



Spring holidays are here, and to celebrate, we at Tonia's Kitchen have a dish that's equally at home at your Easter Dinner or your Passover Seder!  Judy Bart Kancigor, who wrote Cooking Jewish told Tonia she has a delicious braised lamb dish that's moist, tender and flavorful.  And the flavor comes from the brine.  She uses a coffee grinder to bring together a chicken stock brine made of cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, ginger, cloves, fennel, nutmeg, cumin, cardiman and allspice.  Judy then browns some onions in garlic and olive oil and adds it to the stock.  It's important to let the lamb rest in your refrigerator for a day, to really bring out those wonderful flavors. 

Moroccan Spicy Apricot Lamb Shanks

Source: “COOKING JEWISH: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family” by Judy Bart Kancigor

4 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each), visible fat removed

Kosher (coarse) salt to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium-size onions, chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

1 cup dry red wine

1 3/4 cups homemade chicken stock or 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth

Moroccan Spice Mix (recipe follows)

1 cup dried apricots

Black pepper to taste

1. Soak the lamb shanks in water to cover in a large bowl, changing the water frequently until it runs clear. (This will take about 15 minutes in all.) Remove the lamb shanks, dry them very well with paper towels, and then season them all over with salt.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the shanks and brown them on all sides, about 15 minutes altogether. Remove the shanks and set them aside.

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, if necessary (you will need it if you have been diligent in removing all the visible fat from the lamb), reduce the heat to medium, and cook the onions until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up all the crusty brown bits. Stir in the chicken stock and the spice mixture. Return the lamb shanks to the pot.

5. Place the pot in the oven and roast, covered, turning and basting the shanks frequently, for about 1 hour.

6. Add the apricots and continue roasting, covered, until the meat is very soft, about 1 1/2 hours.

7. Transfer the shanks to a platter and keep warm. Remove as much fat as possible from the sauce, using a spoon or a fat separator. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the sauce over the lamb shanks and serve, passing any extra sauce in a sauceboat.

Serves 4 

Moroccan Spice Mix

2 thin cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches)

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or 2 slivers whole nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or seeds of 12 pods

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Combine the spices in a spice grinder or coffee mill, and grind until fine and well mixed.

© 2015 by Judy Bart Kancigor    

 www.cookingjewish.com

Lamb...Slow

 

Are you ready for the most delicious, juiciest and succulent lamb you will ever have? Read on! Nicki Sizemore, who wrote the new cookbook Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for slow cooked Lamb Ragu. She says the advantage of the slow-cooker here is in the way lamb is roasted. And because you're using the slow cooker, this lamb comes tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Nicki told Tonia she browns the lamb meat in a skillet first, before adding it and the other ingredients to the slow cooker for several hours. She serves the lamb over pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For Serving

• 12 ounces papperdelle pasta (or any pasta shape you prefer)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving
• Fresh ricotta cheese
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Make the lamb ragu

• In a large straight-sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a plate. Drain off and discard the fat.
• Place the skillet back on the stove and reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, along with the onions, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and give it a good stir to combine. Pour the wine into the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Slide the lamb back into the pan and cook until most of the wine is absorbed.
• Scrape everything to one side of the pan and then pour the tomatoes and their juices into the other side. Using kitchen scissors, roughly chop the tomatoes. Give everything a good stir, then sprinkle in the cinnamon and some more salt and pepper. Cook at a brisk simmer (adjusting the heat as necessary) for 15-20 minutes—stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat and tomatoes with a wooden spoon—until the vegetables are tender. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Discard the bay leaf. Do Ahead: The ragu can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently before serving.

Cook the pasta and serve

• In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta, then transfer it back into the pot. Add the ragu. Cook over medium heat, stirring the pasta to coat in the sauce, 1-2 minutes (or until the pasta is cooked through). Add some of the pasta water as needed to create a nice sauce (it should look a tad watery in the pan, as the sauce will continue to absorb once it’s plated). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese and the mint.
• Twirl the pasta into shallow bowls and top with a bit more sauce and a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese. Drizzle good quality olive oil over the ricotta and sprinkle with mint. Serve with more Pecorino Romano on the side for grating. Devour.

A Purple Lamb

Well, not quite. But you would be surprised at the "secret" ingredient from this take on Rack of Lamb from Debbie Wilson Berment. She's the author of the new cookbook The Sagajo Experience. Chef Debbie stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her use of culinary lavender, which she says is added to other spices and used on the lamb like a kind of dry rub. Debbie says not only does the lavender offer a huge difference in the flavor of the lamb, but it actually has medicinal properties as well. Add some lemon zest to the mix and roast it! It's a different take on a real classic.

Lamb for BOTH Easter and Passover

  



Spring holidays are here, and to celebrate, we at Tonia's Kitchen have a dish that's equally at home at your Easter Dinner or your Passover Seder!  Judy Bart Kancigor, who wrote Cooking Jewish told Tonia she has a delicious braised lamb dish that's moist, tender and flavorful.  And the flavor comes from the brine.  She uses a coffee grinder to bring together a chicken stock brine made of cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, ginger, cloves, fennel, nutmeg, cumin, cardiman and allspice.  Judy then browns some onions in garlic and olive oil and adds it to the stock.  It's important to let the lamb rest in your refrigerator for a day, to really bring out those wonderful flavors. 

Moroccan Spicy Apricot Lamb Shanks

Source: “COOKING JEWISH: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family” by Judy Bart Kancigor

4 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each), visible fat removed

Kosher (coarse) salt to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium-size onions, chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

1 cup dry red wine

1 3/4 cups homemade chicken stock or 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth

Moroccan Spice Mix (recipe follows)

1 cup dried apricots

Black pepper to taste

1. Soak the lamb shanks in water to cover in a large bowl, changing the water frequently until it runs clear. (This will take about 15 minutes in all.) Remove the lamb shanks, dry them very well with paper towels, and then season them all over with salt.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the shanks and brown them on all sides, about 15 minutes altogether. Remove the shanks and set them aside.

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, if necessary (you will need it if you have been diligent in removing all the visible fat from the lamb), reduce the heat to medium, and cook the onions until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up all the crusty brown bits. Stir in the chicken stock and the spice mixture. Return the lamb shanks to the pot.

5. Place the pot in the oven and roast, covered, turning and basting the shanks frequently, for about 1 hour.

6. Add the apricots and continue roasting, covered, until the meat is very soft, about 1 1/2 hours.

7. Transfer the shanks to a platter and keep warm. Remove as much fat as possible from the sauce, using a spoon or a fat separator. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the sauce over the lamb shanks and serve, passing any extra sauce in a sauceboat.

Serves 4 

Moroccan Spice Mix

2 thin cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches)

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or 2 slivers whole nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or seeds of 12 pods

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Combine the spices in a spice grinder or coffee mill, and grind until fine and well mixed.

© 2015 by Judy Bart Kancigor    

 www.cookingjewish.com

A Classic Irish Stew...With Lamb

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day week!  In honor of the most celebrated Celtic holiday, Tonia's Kitchen talked with Clodagh McKenna, the author of the new cookbook Clodagh's Irish Kitchen. Clodagh stopped by to talk about one of her favorite comfort foods…Irish Lamb Stew.  Cloudagh told Tonia it’s a fantastic mid-week supper for the whole family. It can be made the night before and reheated.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds boneless lamb for stew, cut into chunks

   sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

4 onions, peeled and cut into thin wedges

6 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup pearl barley 2 sprigs of thyme

For the stock

1 lamb bone

1 carrot

1 onion

2 peppercorns

1 bouquet garni

For the roux

2 tablespoons butter 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 First make the stock: Place all the ingredients in a saucepan with 2 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for as long as possible to bring out the flavor, 2 to 3 hours if you can. Strain the stock and set aside.

2 Preheat the oven to 300°F. 3 

Place a casserole dish over high heat, melt the butter, and add the lamb. Season with salt and pepper and stir until it is a nice brownish color. Transfer to a plate and repeat the process with the vegetables, before also transferring them to a plate.

4 Spoon all the vegetables, the lamb, and the pearl barley into the casserole dish, placing the potatoes on top (you do not want them to get mushy). Remove all the leaves from the thyme stems (discard the stalks) and add them to the dish. Cover with the hot lamb stock and place in the oven for 11/2 hours.

5 While the lamb stew is cooking, make a roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan and beat in the flour, until it forms a paste. Once the casserole has cooked, ladle the juices from the stew into a saucepan and slowly beat into the roux. Cook, stirring, until thickened and smooth. Then pour the thickened gravy back into the stew before serving