8/19/2019 Get a Leg Up on Lamb

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GET A

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Springtime means glorious weather, a fresh new bundle of produce

and lamb. For those of you who are a bit sheepish about the best way

to cook this sweetly fragrant, earthy-avored “other red meat,” here are

three lamb recipes from local restaurants. Get cooking, chop chop!

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BRA ISED LAMB SHANK

 “OSSO BUCO”  

Recipe by chef Danny Trace atBrennan’s of Houston

Te chefs at Brennan’s have many lambrecipes up their toques, which are servedaccording to the season and occasion.Here’s a big, meaty lamb dish that incor-porates bourbon, mint and orange for abright nish.

4 lamb shanksCreole seasoning to taste

½ cup grapeseed oil1 cup onion, medium dice½ cup carrots, medium dice½ cup celery, medium dice6 garlic cloves2 cups red wine1 cup bourbon1 cup tomatoes, diced (fresh or canned)1 orange, sliced2 sprigs fresh thyme2 sprigs fresh oregano3 bay leaves8 sprigs mint leaves

6 cups lamb stock or water1 tsp. granulated sugar

!"#$%&' Preheat oven to 325°. Seasonthe lamb with Creole seasoning and rub well.

In a 12- or 14-inch cast-iron skilletadd oil over medium heat and sear lambon all sides. Add onions, carrots, celeryand garlic. Stir all together and cookuntil vegetables are caramelized. Deglaze with red wine and bourbon. Turn heatoff . Add diced tomatoes, orange, thyme,oregano, bay leaves, 4 mint sprigs andstock.

Cover with foil and place in a 325°oven for 4 hours, or until meat is tender.Once meat is cooked, remove shanksfrom the pan and set aside on a largeserving bowl or platter (covered to keep warm).

Strain the remaining liquid from thepan into a saucepan and skim fat layeroff  of the top. Simmer over mediumheat, skimming occasionally until liquidyields about 2 cups. Remove stems fromthe remaining mint and discard. Steepthe mint leaves in the sauce just until wilted (about 45 seconds), then stir in

sugar and strain into a serving container.Plate each lamb shank and cover with a

generous amount of the sauce. Serves 4.

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS& ROASTED GARLICPOLENTA 

Recipe by Richard Kaplan, Weights + Measures

Chef Richard Kaplan serves thissumptuous grilled lamb chop dish with

creamy polenta at the restaurant onholidays and special occasions.

2 cups polenta 4 cups water½ tsp. salt1 cup heavy cream1 Tbsp. roasted garlic2 Tbsp. unsalted buttersalt and pepper to taste8 lamb chops (1/2-inch thick) cut

from lamb rack with boneattached, cleaned

salt, pepper and granulated garlic to taste

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For the polenta 

!"#$%&' Bring polenta, water and saltto a boil in a deep pan. Lower heat,cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.Stir in cream, garlic and butter, salt andpepper to taste. Keep warm until lambchops are grilled.

For the lamb chops 

!"#$%&: Rub chops with salt, pepperand granulated garlic. Heat a grill tohigh heat. Grill lamb chops for about2 minutes and then ip the chops overand cook for another 3 minutes formedium-rare.

To serve: Spoon a serving of warmpolenta and two lamb chops on eachplate. Garnish with parsley or rosemary.Serve immediately. Serves 4.

ZA’ATAR-DUSTED LAMBCHOPS WITH SOURCHERRY GLAZE 

Recipe courtesy of PhoeniciaSpecialty Foods

Za’atar is an aromatic spice blend inMiddle Eastern cuisine that is typicallymade up of toasted white sesame seeds,ground sumac, thyme and salt.

Succulent lamb chops get a zesty punch with the fragrant seasoning while pair-ing well with the sweet tartness of thesour cherry demi-glace.

2 lb. lamb rack (about 12 bones),trimmed French-style of excess fat

1 tsp. kosher salt1 tsp. ground black pepper1 tsp. za’atar spice1 tsp. lemon zest1 Tbsp. parsley leaves, minced2 Tbsp. vegetable oilgarnish of orange zest and fresh herbs

!"#$%&' Preheat oven to 375° whileallowing lamb rack to come to roomtemperature, about 30 minutes. In abowl, combine salt, pepper, za’atar,lemon zest, parsley and oil. Pat lamb ofany excess moisture with a paper towel.Liberally rub the spice blend over theentire rack. Place lamb on a lightly oiled

roasting pan and cook (bone-side down)for 15 minutes until medium rare (150-155 degree internal temperature).

Remove from oven and baste lambrack with juices from the the roastingpan. Allow lamb rack to rest for 5 to10 minutes. Slice lamb into two-bonechops. Arrange on a platter and liberallyspoon sour cherry sauce (recipe to theright) over the lamb sections. Garnish with orange zest and herbs. Serves 4.

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2 qts. lamb or beef stock 1 qt. red wine½ cup orange juice1 fresh bay leaf 1 sprig each of thyme, rosemary, fresh

lemongrass, tarragon1 tsp. black peppercorns1 tsp. coriander seeds1 tsp. orange zest¼ cup sour cherries, dried and pitted¼ tsp. ground nutmeg 1 pinch ground cinnamon½ tsp. ground cumin3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed

!"#$%&' In a deep saucepan, combinestock, wine, orange juice, bay leaf,herbs, peppercorns and coriander seeds.Heat to medium simmer and allow liq-uid to reduce by half. Remove from heatand nely strain.

Return to a low simmer and add

orange zest, cherries, nutmeg andremaining spices. Whisk to incorporate.Continue to simmer until thickened.Remove from heat and melt butter intosauce until combined. Keep warm andreserve for lamb rack.

Robin Barr Sussman regularly writes ourTastingTe Town column on page 60.

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