Read In the Hands of a Chef Online
Authors: Jody Adams
E
very family has at least
one mistaken culinary tradition that becomes enshrined in memory. I know people who only enjoy turkey dry or macaroni and cheese out of a box because that’s what they ate at the table of their childhood. I was well into my college years before I discovered that leg of lamb—a favorite holiday preparation of my grandmother—didn’t automatically turn gray when roasted. This recipe, which takes its inspiration from a French family classic, is a much juicier preparation. A marinade of olives, rosemary, sage, and thyme flavors the meat, while a crumb and Dijon mustard crust helps the leg stay moist.
Leg of lamb makes great cold leftovers. Accompany it with horseradish, Dijon mustard, hot mango chutney, or Vinegared Grapes (page 288).
MAKES 6 TO 8 ENTRÉE SERVINGS
One 6- to 8-pound bone-in leg of lamb
MARINADE
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
¼ cup finely chopped pitted Gaeta olives
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
CRUMB MIXTURE
¼ cup Dijon mustard, plus more as necessary
2 cups dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DO AHEAD:
Marinate the lamb for 4 hours; longer won't hurt.
1.
Trim the lamb leg of excess fat and membrane. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Set the lamb in a large nonreactive container and smear it with the marinade. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
2.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
3.
Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and season generously all over with salt and pepper (do not scrape off the marinade). Set the leg on a rack in a roasting pan.
4.
Roast for 10 minutes at 450°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F. Roast for
30 minutes, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Let the lamb roast for another 30 minutes.
5.
Remove the lamb from the oven. Brush the surface with the mustard. Press the bread crumbs onto the mustard. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Return the lamb to the oven and roast until the bread crumbs are toasty and the meat has reached the desired degree of doneness, about 30 minutes for medium-rate. Bear in mind this is only an approximation: the actual time depends on your oven and the size of the lamb leg. To check, insert an instant-read digital thermometer into the thickest part of the lamb leg, taking care not to let the tip touch the bone. For rare meat, remove the leg from the oven when it reaches 115° to 120°F; for medium-rare, 125° to 130°F; for medium, 130° to 140°F. Although temperatures may seem a little bit low, the lamb will continue to cook after you’ve removed it from the oven, and the internal temperature will rise another 5 to 10 degrees during the resting period.
6.
Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
7.
Transfer the lamb to a platter and carve at the table.
T
he expense of rack of
lamb usually elevates it to special-dinner status, with all the attendant anxiety about breaking away from anything but tried-and-true approaches. This recipe offers a great alternative to the classic Dijon mustard sauce and fancy baby vegetable garnishes so often seen with lamb racks. When my son was young, he referred to rack chops as “steak on a stick,” which jogged me into thinking about how I would handle rack of lamb if I had the same freedom to play around with seasonings that I did with kebabs. An old-fashioned Italian anchovy marinade for grilled lamb seemed particularly appealing. Why not go even one step further and serve the lamb with a Romaine salad dressed with anchovy vinaigrette and Parmesan croutons? The dish is filled with big appealing flavors and is a lot easier than the usual way of handling racks.
MAKES 4 ENTRÉE SERVINGS
MARINADE
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 anchovies, rinsed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons dried mint
¼ cup vegetable oil
Two 7- or 8-bone racks of lamb, trimmed to leave a thin layer of fat, chine bone removed so you can cut between the chops
1 medium red onion, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Eight ¼-inch-thick slices rustic bread
1 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced and then mashed with a pinch of salt to a paste
1 teaspoon minced shallots
6 anchovies, rinsed and finely chopped
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 head Romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and cut crosswise into strips 3 inches wide
2 ounces Parmesan cheese shavings
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
DO AHEAD:
Marinate the lamb.
1.
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Set the lamb racks in a nonreactive container and smear the meat with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or up to a day.
2.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
3.
Toss the onions with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a small roasting pan and roast until brown around the
edges and tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
4.
To make the croutons, lay the bread slices in a single layer on a sheet pan. Brush each slice with ¾ teaspoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the Parmesan cheese. When the onions are done, bake the croutons for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the bread is toasted. Set aside. Leave the oven on.
5.
To sear the lamb racks, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in each of two large ovenproof sauté pans over medium-high heat. (If you don’t have two large ovenproof pans, sear the racks individually, then transfer to a large roasting pan that has been heating in the oven.) Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper. (Don’t scrape off the marinade.) Add the racks to the pans, meat side down, and sear until brown, about 4 minutes.
6.
Turn the meat, then transfer the pans to the oven. Roast until an instant-read digital thermometer inserted in the center of the rack reads 125°F for medium-rare (120°F for rare). Start checking after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest. Return the onions to the oven to warm while you make the salad.
7.
To make the dressing, combine the garlic, shallots, anchovies, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in the red wine vinegar. Whisk in the remaining ½ cup olive oil in a thin, steady stream until the vinaigrette is smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the lettuce in a large bowl with the vinaigrette. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if necessary.
8.
Arrange the salad on a platter or individual plates. Sprinkle with the Parmesan shavings. Slice the lamb into individual chops and arrange in front of the salad. Drape the salad with the roasted onions and garnish with the croutons. Add a lemon wedge to each plate and serve immediately.
C
alves’ liver has a mild
, delicate taste overlaying a rich texture, a true connoisseur’s treat. Sharp or acidic elements, like the sweet-and-sour mustard sauce and vinegared grapes of this recipe, balance the richness. Beef liver, on the other hand, is quite strong, with a taste that’s well …
livery.
You shouldn’t have any problem distinguishing the latter from the former—calves’ liver (sometimes called “veal liver”) is quite pale; beef liver is a deep purple. Don’t be fooled by “baby beef liver, “ which is just another name for liver from a mature steer.
This preparation calls for first soaking the liver in milk. The milk sweetens the meat by purging it of any remaining blood
MAKES 4 ENTRÉE SERVINGS
1½ pounds very fresh calves’ liver, outer membrane removed and sliced ½ inch thick
2 cups milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
About ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour for dredging
¼ cup vegetable oil, as needed
4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, as needed
8 cups lightly packed greens, such as arugula, watercress, or spinach, washed, dried, and stems removed as necessary
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey
4 to 5 tablespoons high-quality red wine vinegar
2 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) or 4 cups high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth, reduced to 2 cups (see page 32)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Vinegared Grapes (optional; recipe follows)
DO AHEAD:
Make the Vinegared Grapes.
1.
Soak the liver slices in the milk in the refrigerator for 1 hour to remove any remaining blood.
2.
Preheat the oven to 200°F.
3.
Drain the liver and pat dry. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour. Tap off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. As soon as the oil is hot, add as many slices of liver as will fit in the pan without crowding. Unless you have an exceptionally large sauté pan, you’ll need to cook the liver in two batches. Brown the slices on one side, about 2 minutes, then flip, add 1 tablespoon of the butter, and brown the other side, also for 2 minutes. The liver will be between medium and medium-rare. Transfer the cooked slices to a platter and put the platter in the warm oven. Wipe out the pan, or leftover bits of flour will burn as the new arrivals start to
brown. Add more oil before beginning the second batch, and then more butter after flipping the slices.
4.
Wipe the pan clean after all the liver is cooked, then add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Add the greens, season with salt and pepper, and stir them about the pan until they wilt, about 2 minutes. Arrange the greens on the platter with the liver, and return the platter to the oven.
5.
To make the sauce, lower the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. As soon as it melts, add the shallots and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the honey and 4 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar and continue cooking until the liquid reduces to a glaze, less than a minute. Add the chicken stock and cook until it reduces to ¾ cup, 15 to 20 minutes.
6.
Whisk in the mustard and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the liver and greens and serve immediately.
Variations
Instead of the sweet-and-sour mustard sauce, try serving the liver with Brown Bay Butter sauce (page 224). This recipe also works well with veal scaloppine. Don’t bother soaking the veal in milk before sautéing it.
T
hese grapes make a great
cold complement to rich meats such as liver or venison, and are an unusual foil for a rich cheese like Stilton or Gorgonzola. They can easily fill the gap when you don’t want to make a sauce or need a cold condiment for a picnic. Leftovers will keep for a week if refrigerated.
MAKES 2½ CUPS
½ cup high-quality white wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 shallot, minced
2 cups red grapes, cut in half and seeds removed
1.
Combine all the ingredients except the grapes in a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
2.
Add the grapes and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Chill, then serve as a relish.
S
erve this special-occasion dish to
guests who’ve never tried rabbit. The aroma of its spectacular flavors from the Italian Riviera—lemon zest, basil, peaches, and ginger—and golden hazelnut crust is almost impossible to resist. Despite the usual comparison, rabbit has a stronger, more complex taste than chicken, although it’s still quite mild. The flesh is leaner than that of chicken, which makes it easy to overcook when sautéed, but the hazelnut crust in this preparation keeps the meat moist.