On-My-Own Lamb Dish At Home!

I am someone who loves lamb.  When I go out to eat, if there is lamb on the menu I will probably end up ordering it.  Lamb is a dish my mom cooked a bit when I growing up, and to this day it remains one of my requests for special occasion holiday dinners.  While I do not have much experience cooking lamb, I did make some lamb meatballs, but then got some help from the Tri Lamb Group when they gave me a kit to make lamb pizza.  Eventually I had to take off the training wheels and just go for it, or else I would never get out of using basic ground lamb (not that there's anything wrong with ground lamb!).

Dinner is Ready!

So, off I went to Whole Foods, where I bit the bullet and bought some lamb.  I meant to buy a rack of lamb with 6 chops, but ended up asked for 6 lamb chops instead and did not realize what I had done until I arrived home - whoops!

6 Lamb Chops

The lamb chops were a nice size and had some fat around the outside, but I just left it on there because I was worried about drying out the chops and figured the fat would help my cause.  That, and we could just cut it off after it was cooked!

I decided to keep things clean and easy this time around.  I prepared them right on a baking sheet on which  I spread some olive oil.  I first sprinkled both sides of the chops with salt and pepper.  I then minced up a couple (~4) garlic cloves and chopped up fresh rosemary.  I poked some holes into the meat and smushed in the minced garlic and then spread the remainder on top.  Following the garlic, I pressed on the rosemary.

Chop with garlic and rosemary

The final step was taking some nice whole grain mustard and smearing it across the top of the chops.  I popped the prepared chops in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Smeared mustard

While the lamb was cooking I prepared some simple boxed cous cous and asparagus to accompany the lamb.

Fresh Veggies

I decided to just saute the asparagus in some olive oil on the stove.  I really just stirred it up a few times and added some salt and garlic to give the asparagus some zip.  I had a ton in the pan so it took probably about 10 minutes to cook, but still it had some crispness to it.

Cooking asparagus

When I took the lamb out of the oven it was nice and browned and felt like a good medium rare.  I don't like well cooked meat in general, but really cannot stand over cooked lamb!

Lambs done!

I tried to get a bit fancy with the plating.  I piled a large spoonful of the cous cous onto the plate and then placed 3 chops on the cous cous.  I placed a sprig of rosemary between the lamb chops for a little decoration.  Finally, I placed a bundle of asparagus next to the meat and the plate was ready to go.  Not to shabby!

Finished Plate!

I was rather impressed with how this meal turned out!  The lamb was well cooked and very tasty.  The meat was nice and tender - I was happy I left the fat on.  Really, there was very little to trim off when the chops were on the plate.  The cous cous and asparagus were nice accompaniments and did not overpower the lamb.  With a nice start under my belt I am ready to test the waters a bit more.

Do you cook with lamb - what is your favorite way to prepare it?

Lean on Lamb - Lamb Pizza!

About two months ago I was contacted by the Tri Lamb Group (a collaborativeinitiative of lamb producer organizations from the U.S., New Zealand andAustralia) about hosting a supper club for 10-12 of my closest friends.  The goal of this group is really to educate American's on lamb.  In general, I think people think of poultry, beef and the other white meat - pork - for meats when cooking dinners, while lamb is not something that typically comes to mind.  This group's goal is to change that.  Turns out, lamb is much leaner and nutritious than beef.

By providing the components for a great meal they are able to provide a group with a fantastic experiencing with lamb to get the ball rolling.  In addition to the ingredients, the group also provides some fun decorations, like lamb jokes that also include lamb facts.  My favorite joke: "What is a lamb's favorite protest?  Flock-upied Wall Street!"

Recipes and Jokes.

Growing up, my mom actually cooked lamb about once every two months for my family, and since moving out it is always my request from her when we have a "fancy" dinner at home.  When I go out to eat, if there is lamb on the menu, I generally order it.  However, I have only cooked lamb once at home.  I think I find the meat intimidating to cook for some reason.  So, when given the chance to put a meal together and get some more experience under my belt in a well-guided atmosphere, I jumped at the opportunity.

Lamb Pizza!

After I agreed to host a Supper Club, they informed me I was going to make a lamb, pepper and arugula pizza - whats not to love about that?!  Even better, even the biggest suspects of lamb could get behind pizza!  So the day before the day of the supper club, the Lean on Lamb group sent us a cooler packed with all the necessities for cooking lamb pizza.  I mean - they even included the olive oil!

Some of the ingredients

To begin, I chopped up a couple of cloves of garlic and the two shallots.

All Chopped Up

I then took the pizza dough and stretched it out on some square baking sheets that had olive oil drizzled over them.  I then popped the baking sheets with the pizza dough on them into a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes.  I loved that the group sent whole wheat pizza dough - it all felt that much more nutritious.  

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

While the dough was cooking and then cooling, I heated a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet and added the garlic, shallots, ground lamb, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper until the lamb cooked up and was nice a browned - about 7 minutes.

Cooking the lamb

While the meat was finishing up, I brushed both of the semi-cooked pizza crusts with some olive oil.  I then attempted to evenly distribute the ground lamb over the both pizza crusts.  Somehow I was actually fairly successful and did not dump it all in one area!  Next I topped the meat with the pepperoncini.  I just pulled them directly from the jar rather than measuring it completely.  However, based on some of the feedback, if I were to make this again I would probably add more of the peppers since the tart vinegar flavor went well with the other pizza components.  Finally, I crumbled the goat cheese log and evenly tossed the crumbles over both pizzas.

Ready for the oven

I then put both pizzas back in the 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese started to brown and melt and the crust edges were browning as well.

All done cooking!

The final step included tossing the arugula with a tablespoon of olive oil - I did it in the zip lock bag the arugula came in for easy tossing.  Once coated fully, I placed the greens onto the top of the pizza and allowed it to sit for another two minutes to allow the arugula to wilt a bit.

Ready to Cut and Serve

The pizza came out really well and even the guests who were a little worried about having lamb enjoyed their meal.  The suspicious people were those who just have not had as much exposure to lamb for one reason or another, but mostly because taking that first bite of a lamb meal made then a bit nervous.  This pizza was a great introduction because the lamb was ground and really looked like beef and was not too overwhelming.  Most of the guests loved the contrast between the lamb flavors and the pepperoncini.  The peppers really helped bring out the lamb flavor.

Overall this was a fantastic experience that allowed me to try my hand at another another lamb dish and feel confident about what I was serving to a number of close friends - close enough that they probably would have eaten it anyway, but also close enough that I did not want to let them down.  Completing this night was the wine served - we took this opportunity to serve a number of wines that we were planning on trying out for our wedding.  Getting a good idea of what the wedding guests liked made the night even more festive!

For the supper club, getting to expose a group of people to a good lamb dinner is exactly what they wanted.  For me, getting to serve some delicious food and drink to my nearest and dearest made for a near perfect evening.

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Eat at Journeyman

To eat at Journeyman is an adventure. To appreciate the experience in an industrial factory turned dining room tucked in an alley in Somerville's Union Square, is to let go of any preconceived notions, to absolve your expectations and go with the flow. The menu is secretive by design and so is the speakeasy-esque location. If you weren't looking for it, you'd miss it, and if you wanted to know what you're ordering for dinner, think again. From a clipboard menu, chose either the omnivore or herbivore tasting, in three ($45), five ($65) or seven ($85) course denominations, with listings that vaguely hint to a main ingredient. We chose the five course omnivore menu, listed as follows: Salad | Potato | Whiting | Lamb | Caramel. The menu options change weekly as a result of the fleeting imaginations of the chefs and what the local markets as well the seasons dictate.

We were celebrating a birthday this evening, not that cocktails wouldn't have been in order anyways! I absolutely loved their spicy, complex version of a dark & stormy; the Stormy Weather ($8) which combined Whaler's Rum Rum, ginger soda, Cardamaro and peppercake bitters. Beverage pairings are offered at $25, $45 and $65, with the courses, respectively. Forgoing that option was almost a necessity given the already serious five course splurge! But the journey, the one you trust these talented academics turned chefs to take you on, proves worthy of such a cost.

The meal began with an amuse bouche of gougères, a savory French cheese puff made with gruyere that melted into a pillowy, flaky pastry shell. A plate of homemade bread was served next, rustic and grainy, complete with olive oil for dipping and a pat of soft butter served on a rock. Dishes are small, impeccably prepared, and tantalize the senses on multiple levels. My sense of smell was constantly overjoyed, the aromatics straight away drew me in before I even had a chance to marvel at the food itself. After the smell, there was the site, more often than not a fanfare of ingredients displayed thoughtfully and artistically. The first course of salad contained (don't hold your breath!) roasted goat pumpkin with a lemon brown butter, red pepper puree, zucchini ribbons, braised leeks, glazed carrot and green bean, braised hakurei turnip, apple with apple cider, radish, broccoli floret, eggplant-mustard sauce, potato crumble, sweet potato puree, micro greens, fig and brussel sprout! The attention paid to each tiny piece of fruit and vegetable was remarkable, the flavors beautifully defined. I though the potato crumble was particularly inventive and that brussel sprout was probably my favorite bite. The potato course featured a potato gratin, the cube of flaky buttery layers was plated over a forest green herb emulsion, with a fluffy Greek yogurt and sour cream foam, sauteed spinach and finally, sprinkled with brilliant, earthy, hen of the woods mushrooms. This was an elegant interpretation of potatoes, the warm gratin and the cold foam nicely contrasting. Known for their intriguing and obscure wine list, I opted next for a glass of white; Bisson "U Pastine" ($10) 2004; Bianchetta; Liguria, Italy. Bianchetta is a rare grape variety found only in Northwestern Italy and "U Pastine" is local dialect meaning "a very special product". It paired brilliantly with the course up next, which looked quiet and unassuming in comparison, but proved to be anything but. For the whiting, a black sea bass sauteed in butter was plated over a bevy of bivalves including an Island Creek oyster and an Atlantic razor clam. The trio of seafoods were perfectly prepared, offering an exciting mash up of textures. The bacon clam broth also served to excite. A balance of savory, smokey and salty, with a touch of scallion oil, it offered depth without overwhelming the components. Next, a duo of lamb delights. One part roasted, one part braised in a barley-milk, with apricot kernel oil infused bulgar wheat, toasted pistachio puree, poached damson plums and black trumpet mushrooms, every element on the plate was poignant and delicious. I would really love to eat this for dinner again and again, I don't often get this excited about lamb. To transition from savory to sweet, a palate cleanser arrives in the form of a Beefeater Gin + Polar Tonic Gelee. How fun! Cleanse my palate it did, with a hint of cucumber sorbet and fresh mint. The caramel course offered a Greengage plum-caramel sorbet over a super soft caramel cake with peanut/cumin meringue and walnut brittle finished with brush strokes of sherry vinegar custard and dots of huckleberry sauce. It was a splendid ending point.

The length of our meal ran for almost 3 1/2 hours, and from what I have since gathered, this is not uncommon. The span in between courses was a bit longer than ideal, but the outcome embodies a true labor of love. The service all night was on point; plates were efficiently cleared, silverware reset like clockwork, and waters refilled often. The manager, Meg, visits the table accompanying most courses with a cheerful demeanor and a detailed explanation of of the dish.

If an open mind can follow you in, and you have the dollars, not to mention the time, to splurge, I highly encourage you to give it a try. Journeyman proves to be a dynamic and charming dining experience where deliciously whimsical food amazes the palate and feeds the senses.

Lamb Meatballs

I was looking for something to make for dinner recently and remembered seeing a yummy looking lamb recipe on the The Small Boston Kitchen, so I decided to give it a go. The recipe was actually for Moroccan Spiced Lamb Meatballs, and being a lamb lover, it sounded like a great way to bring this protein into my kitchen.

Lamb Meatballs!

I will say Savenor's came up big on this evening. They did not have ground lamb packaged, so I had to ask the friendly butchers behind the counter for some. At first they went in the back to check, but still nothing. They said that I could buy the whole top roast and grind that up, but that was a lot more money than I wanted or needed to spend. So, just as I was about to start figuring out something else to cook, the butchers checked again and sure enough, they had enough lamb scraps (from the top roast), which they ground up for me - thank you Savenor's!

The Ingredients

The Necessitites...

• 1 pound ground lamb meat
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic - chopped
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil

Now, you may be wondering where the "Moroccan" comes in. The original recipe called for a 1/2 tablespoon of Ras el hanout, which is a pre-mixed combination of spices. Thought Savenor's has a pretty extensive spice rack, on this particular night it was not available. Instead, I gathered all the Moroccan spices I had in our spice shelf and figured I could make it work. Turns out we had quite a few on hand - chili powder, cumin, turmeric, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and coriander.

Lots of spice!

To begin, I chopped up the onion - it was actually one of the delicious red onions from our CSA, and really more of a red onion/scallion combination.

Chopped Onion

I put the onion in a saute pan with some olive oil and a bit of salt and cooked it until it was tender, at which point I added the chopped garlic. After another couple of minutes, I went ahead and added a dash of all the spices, hoping to land somewhere near the tablespoon called for by the recipe. I allowed it all to cook for another minute or so and then removed it from the heat.

While the onion was cooking, I combined the parsley, mint, molasses and the mustard in a large bowl.

Almost ready for the meat

Next, I added the ground lamb and, using my hands, mixed it all together, making sure not to go too crazy and over-work the meat. Once the onion mixture cooled a bit, I added that to the bowl and mixed again.

Meat Mixture

Once the meat and its components were all mixed up I formed it into balls that were a bit bigger than a tablespoon a piece and placed them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Once ready to go, I put the cookie sheet into a 350 degree over and allowed the meatballs to cook for about a half hour. They probably could have used a little less time in oven, but it was hard to tell!

In the oven

These did produce a lot of oil on the sheet pan - beware! While the meatballs were cooking, I cut up the zucchini and summer squash we had from our CSA and sauteed them in some olive oil until them were just tender for a nice colorful side dish.

Zucchini and Summer Squash

I ended up serving the meatballs "sub style" in a toasted hot dog bun (we had some on hand to use up)...

On A Roll!

But also, I served them just on the plate.

Dinner is served

Either way, the lamb meatballs were really tasty. All the spices and the lamb meat added a really fun flavor to a relatively traditional dish. Even with my crazy combination of spices the dish worked - I could have even added some more! Being a lamb lover, this dish totally worked and you really can make it all your own depending on what you add. Having always been afraid of making lamb at home this was a great first step - a good confidence builder, that's for sure.

Sam's Patio Party

With prime waterfront property on Fan Pier, Sam's located at 60 Northern Avenue inside the Louis Boston building has a lot to offer, beginning and certainly not ending with exceptionally breathtaking views. Weaving through a construction ridden parking lot, I followed signs leading me to an industrial warehouse; the facade a seemingly misleading and trendy disguise for what it beholds.Sam's sits perched on the back half of the second floor, where at the entrance I was welcomed by owners Esti and Drew Parsons. It was an absolutely perfect day for an outdoor event as evidenced by sunny blue skies, a barely there breeze and calm waters. The stylish single room interior offers panoramic views out two toned glass walls. Globe lighting flanks the perimeter of the lofty ceiling while pristine leather couches back retro cafeteria style tables. A small bar with modern stools and a black counter top sits in a corner of the back wall and to its right, the exit to the patio where the party was being held. The wraparound deck is home to a trifecta of jaw dropping landscapes. Boats pass by on the harbor, the city skyline parades in the distance over Rowes Wharf and just below an inviting bright green lawn expands to meet the Boston Harborwalk. Views in Boston don't get much better than this!!The backside of the building is nothing like the front, where besides those pristine glass walls, multi-toned wood panels construct the rest of the exterior. I imagine views of this place from a boat in the harbor are almost equally as striking. Note I said almost. I was excited to find this girl behind the bar, my friend Jess Li who is a former waitress at longtime favorite hangout Delux. She knows me all too well and wasted no time explaining the signature cocktail created especially for the event. The Less Than Three (<3) is an inventive blend of tequila, cassis, grapefruit juice, muddled cucumber, mint and lavender topped with a splash of club soda and garnished with a salted cucumber. Not to sweet, or too tart, the flavors were balanced and refreshing. Bloggers and other media reps were introduced to the talents of Sam's new chef Asia Mei through a sampling of passed appetizers. The chef excels at pairing exciting ingredients in creative and unique forms. From the Crispy Jalapeno Crab Rangoon with sweet and sour plum gastrique to Mini Lobster BLTs with candied bacon, I was impressed early on. One of my favorites was the Halibut Tartare cradled by a bibb lettuce leaf topped with thin crispy potato shavings. But that was before I tried the Braised Endive, Grapefruit & Sesame Brittle where a spoonful of drastic flavors melded to create a divine bite. The braised endive was silky and bitter, the soft grapefruit was tart and juicy, the sweet crunchy sesame brittle rounding out the array of tastes and textures. There were also thick and juicy, tender and flavorful Pistacio Crusted Lamb Lolipops up for grabs.BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos topped with pickled cabbage and a dollop of creme fraiche had a spicy kick.A hearty Quinoa Salad boasting almonds, feta cheese, blueberries and orange segments was a nice introduction to these edible grain like seeds.Plate after plate of these inventive appetizers were offered, the waitstaff happy to accommodate our constant requests to photograph their trays. After another Less Than Three there was white wine. Basking on the deck in blissful weather sipping perfectly crafted cocktails and munching on fantastic appetizers was highlighted by the company of these ladies - From left to right -Lin, me, Susie, Meghan, Chelsee, Elizabeth, Christine, Lingbo, Bridget and Tina. Sam's is open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch and the bar is open 7 days a week until 1pm. I'm already looking forward to a return visit! Whose in?!