East meets West lamb

When I saw that there was a challenge coming up at Foodie Fights I just had to jump in. The friendly competition is between 6 people who are given two random ingredients that they have to incorporate into a dish. It was my birthday weekend and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my time than cooking. I love cooking you know. The ingredients this time were ginger and peas. Hmmm. *I* can do that.



So seeing that we are lucky enough to have the pleasure of buying the most unbelievable lamb (which we have gone through 2 entire lamb and waiting to pick up the third) at Leyden Farm, a farm owned by friends. So having the lamby goodness in our freeze my first thought was LAMB! So here you have it.



Getting down to business the first thing I did was have Mr. Food make me a Gin and Titanic. My sister bought me the ice cube tray and I just had to try it out. Of course the thought of a cold gin and tonic to launch my foray into creating this recipe didn't hurt.



So, last night I marinaded the lamb. I started with our "honored guest" ginger.



and whipped together the marinade.





I then put it all in a sealer bag to marinade overnight. Here is the picture BEFORE I discovered a hole in the bag and transfered it all to a ziplock bag. Shut up...I don't make a cooking faux pas very often.



Tonight we got down to business to get the whole thing together. I started off with the sauce.


Mr Food started the grilling. He grilled the lamb 15 minutes per side over medium heat (internal temperature 145 degrees). We then let it rest for 10 minutes and then sliced and served with the sauce.



This ginger and peas in the sauce were a perfect combination of tastes with the lamb. It was all balanced by the subtle asian ingredients in the sauce. The ginger and pea flavors came across quite well. We would make this again. Mr Food thought we should suggest this recipe to Ming Tsai (owner and chef of Blue Ginger and expert on East meets West).

East meets West Lamb

2lb lamb roast

Marinade:
1 stalk lemon grass thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 shallot roughly chopped
1 Tbl cilantro stems
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 dried New Mexico chili soaked for 10 min and deveined and seeded
2/3 C water
2 Tbl safflower oil
1 tsp sugar

Mix all of the above in a blender or food processor. Pour over lamb in zipper bag or food sealer bag and refrigerate overnight.
Grill lamb 15 minutes per side or until internal temperature is 145 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes and slice and serve with sauce.


Cream Sauce:
2 oz peeled fresh ginger
2 C water
5 shallots peeled and minced
1/2 C dry vermouth
1 C creme fraiche
1 C Coconut milk
2 C peas + 1 C to add whole to sauce
1 Tbl butter
5 inch piece lemongrass cut into 1" pieces and smashed with back of knife
5 sprigs cilantro
3 sprigs mint

1. Cut 1/4 of the ginger into matchsticks. Bring 2 C water to a boil and add sliced ginger. Boil for 1 minute. Strain and rinse with cold water and set aside.



2. Melt 1/2 Tbl butter in a small saucepan over low heat. When butter foams add shallots and cook for 3 minutes over low heat. Do not allow shallots to color.

3. Add lemongrass, cilantro, mint, and vermouth. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add creme fraiche and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pass through a fine strainer into another saucepan and stir in 1/2 tbl butter. Season with a pinch of salt.



4. In a blender or food processor blend peas with a little bit of the sauce until it forms a paste. Add paste to rest of sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Add whole peas and boiled ginger strips.



So there you have it!



Now vote for me. Please go look at the competition and if you feel that I deserve it (I will make you dinner if you do) vote for me at Foodie Fights.


Now just in case you want the recipe for the daikon salad that is in that photo...



I made string stuff on my handy dandy japanese thingy



and made a dressing and let it sit in the refrig for a couple of hours. I didn't make this one up but I did come up with the idea of using the handy dandy Japanese tool thingy.

Ginger, Carrot, and Daikon Salad
Big Oven website

1/2 Daikon radish julienned
1 med carrot, julienned
6 radishes thinly sliced

Dressing:
3 Tbl seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbl gingerroot
2 cloves garlic; chopped
1 tbl asian chili sauce
1/2 tsp chopped cilantro
1/3 C vegetable oil
Soy sauce to taste

Mix all dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Crab cakes are my friend!

We decided to make stuff out of Michel Richard's "Happy in the Kitchen". I love this cookbook. We chose stuff that just sounded like things we wanted to try. It was an odd dinner but a tasty one. The first thing we chose was the "Faux Gras". I liked it a lot and it wasn't that hard to make. I think that it would be great for a small get together.



Of course I made a sourdough to go with it!



Next off we had to make the Corn Nugget Crab Cakes. Although these look complicated, they really were pretty easy.


This recipe is interesting because the coating of the crab cake is fresh corn that uses a shrimp and cream "paste" to bind it together.




Plastic wrap in put down and then a portion of the mixture is placed ontop.



It is then flattened and a portion of the crab mixture is put in the middle (oops don't have a picture of this)



The edges of the plastic wrap are gathered together and twisted to encase the shrimp mixture in the corn. It is then shaped by a cookie mold or anything that will be around a 5" diameter (oops, I was too busy cooking to get a picture of this either)



Then they are baked and broiled and man oh man were they good.







Then there was this embarrassingly easy brussel sprouts (thank you Michel Richard). He explains that his wife made Brussel sprouts one night and he loved them. He said he thinks most restaurants serve hard little things. Ends up that she made frozen brussel sprouts. I tried this recipe and fell in love even though I am not one for frozen vegetables.



So our dinner was a bit quirky and didn't really go together but we got to try new recipes and I would have to say that all of them were winners.



Dakota helped clean up the spills.

Faux Gras
Michel Richard

Mousse
1 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Parsley Gelee
1 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped)
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 to 2 drops Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


1. Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cream and simmer, covered, until onion is tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 3/4 sticks butter, then return to heat and stir until butter is melted and mixture is combined.

3. Purée livers with onion mixture, salt, and pepper in a blender, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth. Force mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. Bring a teakettle full of water to a boil.

4. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300ºF.

5. Evenly space ramekins a pan. Divide liver mixture among ramekins, then cover each ramekin with foil and place roasting pan in oven. Pour enough boiling water into pan to fill pan halfway. Bake until mousse is just set, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and transfer ramekins to a rack to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate mousse for a few hours to chill


6. Chop half of cucumber and reserve remainder for another use. Purée chopped cucumber in a food processor until liquefied. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup. You should have 1/2C of cucumber water.

7. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the gelatin and 1/4 C of the cucumber water. Add the lemon juice, sugar, salt, and Tabasco to the remaining cucumber water. Place the small bowl in the microwave and heat just to melt the gelatin; do not allow to boil. Stir back into the seasoned cucumber water. Stir in 2 TBL of the parsley. Add some or all of the remaining parsley a little at a time until the mixture is dense with parsley but the green of the cucumber water is still visible.

8. Spoon about 2 tablespoons over each mousse. Chill until gelée is set, about 1 hour.

9. Bring mousse to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before serving.




Corn Nugget Crab Cakes
From "Happy in the Kitchen" by Michel Richard, Artisan 2006

Serves 4 as a first course

4 large ears corn (about 3 pounds), shucked and silks removed
2 ounces shelled and deveined fresh or frozen shrimp (about 2 large), cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon whole milk
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crab Cakes

8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons (1 to 1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Tartar Sauce, see recipe below

Hint: This is a great do-ahead recipe. Both the crab cakes and the tartar sauce can be prepared a day ahead, and the cakes finished in the oven just before serving.

Instructions:

1. Cut the kernels off the corncobs with a sharp knife or on a Benriner fitted with the straight blade. You will need about 2½ cups of kernels; reserve any remaining corn for another use. Set a steamer basket in a pot over simmering water. Place the corn in the steamer basket, cover, and steam for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Pour the corn onto paper towels to cool. Set the steamer aside.

2. Place the shrimp in a small food processor, add the milk, and process to a completely smooth paste. Use a small spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the cooled corn, and mix well. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the crab.

3. For the crab cakes, place the crab in a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon, chives, and soy sauce, and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt, black pepper, and if desired, cayenne pepper. Mix carefully to blend the ingredients, but don't overmix the delicate crab. Taste for seasoning and add more as needed.

4. To form the cakes and wrap them in plastic: Rub a clean counter with dampened hands, to anchor the plastic, and place a piece of plastic wrap about 12 inches long on the damp surface. Place one-quarter of the corn mixture in the center of the plastic, pushing the corn kernels together into a circle. Top with another piece of plastic wrap. Flatten the kernels with your hand, then roll a rolling pin over the corn to shape a flat disk 5 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Remove the top piece of plastic.

5. Form one-quarter of the crab mixture into a 2-3-inch circle in the center of the corn. Smooth and shape the circle, leaving a 1-inch border of corn exposed around the edges. Lift the corners of the plastic and gather them up over the crab cake, then twist the plastic to tighten the mixture and completely encase the crab cake in the corn (it will become round in shape). Place the still-wrapped crab cake into a 4-inch round cookie cutter or ring mold and press the top gently with your hand to shape it into a disk. Remove from the mold and trim the plastic wrap, leaving about 1 inch extra. Repeat to make a total of 4 crab cakes.

6. Return the water in the steamer to a simmer. Arrange the crab cakes, still in the plastic, seam side down in the steamer basket. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a plate. Cool slightly, still in the plastic, then refrigerate to chill and set for a few hours, or up to a day.

7. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a heatproof baking dish large enough to hold the crab cakes.

8. Remove the cakes from the refrigerator. With scissors, cut off the twisted plastic as close as possible to one cake. Carefully flip the cake over onto the buttered pan, pinch the top of the plastic wrap, and carefully lift and pull it off the crab cake. Repeat with the remaining cakes. Brush the tops of the cakes with the softened butter.

9. Place in the oven for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until heated through. Once they are hot, turn on the broiler, and broil until the corn kernels are golden brown and crispy.

Serve with the Tartar Sauce passed on the side.


Tartar Sauce
From "Happy in the Kitchen" by Michel Richard, Artisan 2006

This is my Shallot Dressing amped up with capers and cornichons.

¼ cup rinsed, dried, and chopped capers
6 cornichons, coarsely chopped
Shallot Dressing, made without basil, see recipe below

Stir Capers and cornichons into dressing. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.


Shallot Dressing
From "Happy in the Kitchen" by Michel Richard, Artisan 2006

Anytime you might think of using ranch dressing, try this instead. It's tangy, creamy, and intense. You can blend it completely to super smoothness or leave some texture. I use it for almost anything except dessert.

½ cup Mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup finely minced shallots
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
4 drops Tabasco sauce
¼ cup minced chives
¼ cup chopped basil
¼ cup chopped chervil (optional)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse to blend, scarping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Leave a bit of texture to the mixture, or blend until completely smooth. Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 2 days.



Jolly Green Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4 as a side dish

1 pound frozen Brussels sprouts (3 cups)
2 tablespoons frozen peas, defrosted and at room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream, warmed
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few drops of fresh lemon juice

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for about 8 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

2. Meanwhile, place the peas and cream in a mini chopper or spice grinder and puree until smooth.

3. Drain the Brussels sprouts and shake off the excess water. Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, sprinkle with salt, and swirl the pan from time to time to coat the sprouts with butter and brown them evenly. Sauté for about 3 minutes, or until the outer leaves are just beginning to color.

4. Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a bowl, top with the pea mixture, and stir to coat the sprouts evenly. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

What a week

We have had a really hard couple of weeks. Our Saint Bernard Dakota was really sick. I thought we were going to lose her there for a while. She ended up at Tufts Veterinary School and was there for a week. I swear they are miracle workers. Ends up that Dakota has Addison's disease.

Ok, onto cooking and friends and all that good stuff. My friend Gail came to visit. We had a great time and it was a good excuse to cook. First night I made my favorite standby Paella.

Second night we had a boneless leg of lamb in the freezer and it was calling our name.



I decided that I wanted to try lamb stuffed with goat cheese, tomatoes, and basil from "Pure and Simple Cooking by Diana Henry. I swear that this cookbook is one of my favorites. Speaking of favorites I also made Panade of Leeks and Mixed Greens with Cantal Cheese by Paula Wolfert from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen. You can get the recipe that I have posted before here.



The lamb was fantastic and we had a wonderful couple of days with our pal.



Lamb stuffed with goat cheese, tomatoes, and basil
Pure and simple cooking by Diana Henry

Stuffing
6 oz goat cheese, crumbled
6 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, and coarsely chopped
2 oz (about 3/4 C) basil leaves, torn
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil

1 (3lb) boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat
salt and pepper

1. Mix everything for the stuffing together gently - break up the goat cheese but don't turn it into paste.

2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Open the lamb out like a book. Cut some pockets in the thickest parts of the meat - this just gives you extra places into which to stuff cheese mixture. Season the flesh of the lamb with salt and pepper and spread stuffing over it, pushing the cheese mixture into any pockets you've created. Roll up, tie with string at intervals, and season well.

3. Place in the roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Decrease the temperature to 375F and roast for another 50 minutes. Transfer lamb to a carving board, cover with aluminum foil, and insulate with clean kitchen towels. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Spring is here and so is more lamb!

So, it was Easter and even though I don't celebrate it, I do celebrate SPRING. So once again we decided to make something lamb. It was in the 70's and it was a beautiful day so what better way to cook than the grill!



I have posted this recipe before so if you want it just go here

I made fresh pitas in the morning



We got Spring stuff done. Like starting the seeds in the aerogarden so that we can plant in June



When the lamb came out of the refrig it looked like this (just follow the recipe)




Here it is ready to go on the grill



I love cooking outside



No mess in the kitchen and we get to watch it while we sit and drink on the back patio. After being hybernating all Winter you just don't take it for granted when the sun is out and it feels perfect outside.



Yum....DINNER!!!!!

Kathy Gori rocks! and so does her Kheema

My blogging pal Kathy Gori posted this recipe. She is the queen of Indian food and man did she come through on this one! Of course anything with lamb is a good thing (especially because I have a boatload of lamb in the freezer) and this one did not disappoint. It is easy and now one of my new favorites.

So simple to make.



Since it was raining AGAIN we cooked these up on our griddle.




Would have love to do them on the grill but next time. I can't imagine them tasting any better than the did anyhow.



I made a simple raita to go with it.



and we were ready to eat!



I will post the recipe here but go check out Kathy's blog for amazing Indian food recipes!


Kheema (Lamb patties)
Ingredients

1/2 cup fine chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint.

1 lb of ground lamb

Directions:

1. Mix Together
1/2 cup fine chopped onion

2. mix in 1 teaspoon minced ginger

3, Add 1 teaspoon ground coriander

4. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

5. Add 1 teaspoon salt

6. Add 1/4 cup plain yogurt

7 Add 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

8. Finally toss in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and 1/4 finely chopped fresh mint.

9. Add 1 lb of ground lamb

10. Mix all of this together ..almost like you're making meatloaf, mix till it's smooth.

11. Place in in a covered bowl in the fridge to set a bit. Make sure you take it out 1/2 hour before you're going to cook it.

12. make patties of the meat and grill it...either in a pan or on the barbecue.

Kheema are good stuffed in pita bread or on a bun, molded like meatballs on skewers or as I mentioned before in chapatis or naan bread now that I think of it.

Shanghai Stuffed Soup Buns

A while back we went for Dim Sum and tried to order these Shanghai Soup Buns. Either our English wasn't translated well or it is just a hazard in making these, but they had no soup inside when we took a bite.

There I was sitting in the Doctors office thumbing through an ancient Bon Appetite when I saw the recipe for these tasty morsels so I had to give it a try.

First off the day before we made these we made a rich broth for the aspic.



That was the secret of getting the soup into these little devils. You make an aspic first to mix with the meat.



Next day we made the buns themselves. We streamed them in a tamale steamer because we didn't have a bamboo steamer. Ok, multicultural here but you work with what you have.




and there you have it....although, our wrapping technique must have been off because there was no soup inside ours either. We will certainly give it another try but next time I might just use store bought won ton wrappers that I flatten out a bit more than how they come.





So, then there was the steamed fish that we made to go with it. The flavor was great but I have to say that now I know that I don't like Pompano. Next time I would use a different kind of fish. I couldn't even eat it.



It makes me kinda sick even looking at this picture so maybe we won't make this again. Hey, but you are welcome to give it a try. Just ask me for the recipe if you really want it.



Last but not least, Dr Food made fried rice. Actually, it was the only thing that I really loved. He faked it with some pork belly, scallions, a scrambled egg, ginger, soy sauce and rice. Don't tell him this was the best thing because it might go to his head and we wouldn't want to have THAT happen.


Shanghai Stuffed Soup Buns
Bon Appéti May 2007

For steaming:
7 to 8 large cabbage leaves (Napa or green cabbage)

For aspic:
1 1/4 pounds shoulder pork chops, cut (through the bone if necessary) into 2-inch pieces with a cleaver or large knife
1 1/4 pounds chicken wings, cut through the bone into 2-inch pieces with a cleaver or large knife
4 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sake
1/2 star anise, lightly smashed with flat part of a heavy knife (about 1/2 teaspoon)

For filling:
6 ounces ground pork shoulder (not lean)
2 tablespoons minced scallion
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

For Wrappers
2 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

For dipping sauce:
1/4 cup Chinese black vinegar (preferably Chinkiang)
1/2 tablespoon very thin matchsticks peeled fresh ginger

Special equipment: a 12-inch bamboo steamer; a 6-inch (3/4-inch-diameter) rolling pin or dowel; a well-seasoned 14-inch wok with a lid

1. Blanch cabbage leaves in a large pot of boiling water until softened, about 1 minute, then drain well in a colander.

2. Make aspic:
Bring all aspic ingredients to a boil, uncovered, in a 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer, uncovered, until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 2 hours. Pour liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Pour liquid into a measuring cup and let stand until fat separates from broth, about 1 minute. (If you have less than 1/2 cup broth, add water. If you have more, boil broth to reduce it to 1/2 cup.) Chill broth, covered, until it jells into a solid aspic, about 6 hours.

3. Make filling:
Lightly scrape off any fat from aspic with a spoon and discard, then coarsely chop aspic. Chop ground pork with a cleaver or a large heavy knife until very finely minced and fluffy.

Beat together aspic, pork, and remaining filling ingredients with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined well, about 30 seconds. Form filling into 24 mounds (2 teaspoons each) on a plastic-wrap-lined baking sheet and cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Chill while making bun wrappers.

4. Make wrapper dough:
Put 2 cups flour in a medium bowl, then add boiling water and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes (dough will have the texture of a slightly sticky marshmallow). If dough is too sticky, knead in more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

5. Make dipping sauce while dough is standing:
Stir together vinegar and ginger.

6. Assemble and steam buns:


Line steamer rack with cabbage leaves.

Form dough into a snakelike roll about 12 inches long on a lightly floured surface, then cut crosswise into 24 equal pieces with a floured knife and cover with plastic wrap.

Have a small bowl of water ready. Keeping remaining dough covered, place 1 piece of dough cut side down on a lightly floured surface and flatten slightly to form a round. Pick up flattened round and move hands around edges of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing dough to stretch slightly, until about 3 inches in diameter. Using small rolling pin with one hand and rotating dough round with other hand, gently even out dough round until it is 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter. (Do not roll out center 1 inch of dough; center of round should be slightly thicker than edge.)

Lightly moisten outer 1/4 inch of dough round with a finger dipped in water, then put 1 mound of meat filling in center of round. Pleat edge all around, then pinch and twist pleats together. Place bun on cabbage in steamer and cover with steamer lid to keep bun from drying out. Make more buns with remaining dough and filling in same manner and arrange in steamer, spacing evenly in 1 layer and covering with lid.

Fill wok with enough water so that bottom rim of steamer (not rack) will rest in water. Bring water to a rolling boil over high heat (without steamer in wok), then place steamer in wok and steam buns, covered with steamer lid, over boiling water until buns are firm (not gummy) to the touch and skins are slightly translucent, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately, with dipping sauce.