Slow Cooked Lamb with Potatoes – Kuzi de Pesah

I always liked lamb and when looking for a great recipe that uses it, what better place to find it than in a Sephardic cookbook?

From Stella’s Sephardic Kitchen (page 157) by Stella Cohen:

Detail of photo by: Marc Hoberman, on page 156

An easy one-pan lamb and potato dish which is perfect as a family meal and a chilly night. The lamb is gently simmered on the stovetop then briefly browned in the oven. Traditionally this flavorsome dish is served on the Passover dinner, paired with a green spring salad or braised green beans.

3 1/4 lb shoulder of lamb, cut through the bone into even chunks *
5 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
2 small sprigs fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3-4 cups hot chicken soup
2 1/4 lb waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthways
3 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley (use leaves and tender stems)

You will need:
An enameled, cast-iron, shallow oven-to-table casserole

TRIM excess fat from the lamb.

HEAT 4 tbsp olive oil in the casserole over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook to batches on all sides until lightly browned. Remove the lamb with long tongs and keep in a heatproof dish.

ADD the onions to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Return the browned meat to the pan. Add the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and season with salt and pepper. Pour in enough hot stock to just cover the lamb. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer foe 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender, adding more hot stock as necessary. Skim the fat off the cooking juices in the pan.

MEANWHILE boil the potatoes until just tender and drain.

SCATTER the potatoes over the lamb and sprinkle with half the parsley over the lamb and sprinkle with half the parsley,. Drizzle the remaining olive over the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

PREHEAT the oven to grill/broil 15 minutes before serving. Place in under the grill for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. Serve at once with the remaining parsley sprinkled on top.

–xXXOoOXXx–

STELLA’S HINTS:

• * Ask your butcher to cut the shoulder into roughly 2- 2 1/2 inch chunks.
• Lamb chops can be used instead of shoulder, which will save cooking time.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Hearty Winter Broth

It’s snowing this morning and while it’s considerably warmer than the last days, one still needs some good winter comfort food…

This time I found the soup in Simply Soup, published in 2007 by Love Food in the UK. The following recipe appears on page 47:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1 lb lean neck of lamb
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 4 cups vegetable stock *
• 1 bay leaf
• sprigs of fresh parsley
• 2 oz pearl barley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan and add the pieces of lamb, turning the seal and brown on both sides. Lift the lamb out of the pan and set aside until ready the use.
2. Add the onion, carrots, and leeks to the saucepan and cook gently for 3 minutes.
3. Return the lamb to the saucepan and add the vegetable stock, bay leaf, parsley and pearl barley to the saucepan. Bring the mixture in the pan to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 -2 hours.
4. Discard the parsley sprigs. Left the pieces of lamb from the broth and allow them to cool slightly. Remove the bones and any fat and chop the meat. Return the lamb to the broth and reheat gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

It is advisable to prepare this soup a day ahead, then let it cool, cover and refrigetrate overnight. When ready to serve, remove and discard the layer of fat from the surface and reheat the soup gently. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve immediately.

* Vegetable Stock

Yield: 8 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 4 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 10 cups water
• 1 bouquet garni

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leek and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining vegetables, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the water and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes,
2. Strain the stock into a bowl, let cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. use immediately or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Enjoy, gentle reader, I tried it last evening and it was a perfect finish for a cold day!

CS

Moroccan Casserole

[Reader Ester Azouline, from LA, sent us the recipe and photo below. She adapted this recipe from The One Dish Bible. I made it last night and found it deliciously filling. CS]

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 lb lamb, cut into 1″ cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 can (about 14 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 medium unpeeled red potatoes, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed and drained
• 3/4 cup sliced carrots
• Pita bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add lamb and onion; cook intil lamb is browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle flour over meat mixture. Stir until flour has absorbed the juices. Cook an additional 2 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes with juice, water, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to quart casserole, bake 30 minutes.
4. Stir in potatoes, sweet potato, lima beans, green beans and carrots. Cover; bake 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Serve with warm pita bread.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

Esther Assouline

Coconut Lamb With Rice

[Adina H, from Providence in Rhode Island, sent us the following easy to prepare, hearty dish. and the close up photo. CS]

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 3/4 lb lamb, diced
• 6 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Cook lamb and tomatoes in a large frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Pour in coconut milk.
3. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes until lamb is tender.
4. Drain well and set aside.
5. Add the cilantro.
6. Serve hot on a bed of rice.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy. I did!

CS

Sautéed Lamb with Eggplant

I always liked cooking in a wok and anyone who’s been following this blog knows we like lamb. Here’s an easy recipe that adds a fresh and unusual flavor to lamb:

Photo from web, by: Max Falkowitz (not exactly this recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 2 large eggplants thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 6 large tomatoes, blanched, skinned and thickly sliced
• 1 lemon sliced to garnish

Ingredients for the sauce

• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped, plus extra to garnish
• 2/3 cup pareve sour cream (I used Tofutti brand Better than Sour Cream)
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat until almost smoking. Add the minced lamb and fry until thoroughly browned. Remove from wok and keep warm.
2. Add the remaining oil to the wok and fry the eggplant with the garlic for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned on both sides. Add the tomato slices and stir fry for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving dish. Top with the ground lamb and garnish with lemon slices and mint.
3. Sauce. Mix together the mint and pareve sour cream, season with black pepper, serve with the lamb and vegetables.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy! I plan to make this for tonight’s dinner.

CS

Kashmiri Lamb – Rogan Josh

Exotic, delicious, Indian dish with just enough spice to keep it interesting:

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 1 0nion roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 lb lamb, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 10 cardamon pods, slightly crushed
• 1 1/4 cups water

Directions

1. Put the garlic, onion, ginger root, ground spices, salt, tomato paste into a blender and pulse until smooth.
2. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, add the lamb and cardamon pods. Fry over high heat to brown the meat on all sides.
3. Add the blended paste and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Pour in the water and simmer, covered for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
4. Serve over rice with some warmed naan bread.

Indian Style Rice

(from: simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 8 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• One 2-inch piece of cinnamon
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp dark mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp chile flakes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp turmeric

Directions

1. Place rice in a sieve and run cool water through it to rinse it until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in cool water for 30 minutes. Drain.
2. Bring 8 cups of water and the salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice and stir. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the rice, and test if it is done to your taste; rice can take more or less time to cook depending on how old it is. If still too firm, cook a few minutes longer
3. When the rice is cooked to your liking, drain the rice into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop if from cooking. Remove the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and discard. Set the rice aside to drain.
4. In a pan large enough to hold the rice, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and the chile flakes. Cook until the mustard seeds start popping, then add the onion. Sauté until the onion begins to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and mix well. Sprinkle the turmeric over the rice and mix well. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Stuffed Lamb Shoulder

[A few Shabbatot ago, I had lunch at some Sephardic friends’ home; I asked for the recipe of the delicious Lamb Shoulder we had and Mrs. Alma Ohayon emailed me this one. CS]

Serves 6

Photo by: Alma Ohayon

Ingredients

• 1 shoulder of lamb, weighing about 5 lb 8 o, boned and trimmed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp flour, blended with 1 tbsp water
• 1 cup beef or chicken stock

Stuffing

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup lean ground lamb
• 1/2 cup long grain rice
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 12 no-soak dried apricots, chopped
• 1 egg, slightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Prepare the stuffing. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and ground lamb and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring to break up the meat. Stir in the rice and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until translucent, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in the water, salt and pepper, and cumin. Cook covered over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just tender. Remove the from the heat. Add the remaining stuffing ingredients.
3. Open the meat out flat, skin side down. Spread over the stuffing roll. Roll up tightly and secure with string. Brush with oil. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 50 minutes for medium. Brush with honey 15 minutes before the end. Transfer to a serving plate to rest, tented with foil for 15 minutes.
4. Pour of all except 2 tablespoons of the fat. Set the pan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour mixture, stock and vinegar. Bring to a boil while stirring; simmer for 8 minutes, or until thickened. Serve with the lamb.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Grilled Minted Beef Kabobs and Moroccan Tomato Salad

With the summer almost over, I’ve been frantically looking for more grilling recipes. I found this one – which promises to taste incredibly delicious – in Lévana Kirschenbaum‘s LEVANA’S TABLE:

Photo by: Ann Statton for LEVANA’S TABLE, page 105

Grilled Minted Beef Kabobs

This is the stuff of the barbecues of my childhood: hamburgers with a Meditteranean twist. These are perfect with Moroccan Tomato Salad (below). If you are avoiding beef or lamb and decide to substitute ground turkey, increase the amounts of seasoning to taste and add three tablespoons of olive oil to the mixture.

1 medium onion, quartered
4 large cloves garlic
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, including stems
1 small bunch mint, leaves only
1 tablespoon cumin
! tablespoon paprika
Good pinch of cayenne, or more to taste
2 pounds of extra-lean ground beef, or extra-lean ground lamb, or a combination
Freshly ground pepper

Makes about 6 servings

Prepare the grill or preheat the broiler

Combine the onion, parsley, and mint in a food processor and pulse untul finely choppe, do not let mixture get watery. Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the cumin, paprika, cayenne, beef and pepper to taste..

Form about 18 logs approximately 1 inch in diameter and 4 inches long. Thread onto wet wooden or metal skewers. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Serve hot. allow 2 to 3 skewers per guest.

As Levana tells us above, this dish combines perfectly with:

Photo by: Ann Stratton for LEVANA’S TABLE, page 65

Moroccan Tomato Salad

We Moroccans cook tomatoes, sun-dry tomatoes, pickle tomatooes, candy tomatoes-we prepare tomatoes in every way possible. In Mediterranean climates, they are spectacular year round, inexpensive and bursting with color and fragrance. Recently, it has become easier (altjhough not cheaper) to get decent tomatoes throughout the year in the United States. This salad includes capers, gherkins, and preserved lemons; it is delightfully fragrant, colorful and refreshing. If you do nopt have preserved lemons on hand, simply omit them and proceed with the recipe.  If you must make this salad ahead of time, make it without the tomatoes (up to two days ahead), then add the tomatoes before serving.

6 plum tomatoes, seeds and juice discarded, diced
2 tablespoons minced purple onion
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, preferably tiny nonpareils
1/4 cup minced dill pickle
6 pitted green olives, minced
2 pickled hot peppers, chopped (optional)
1/4 of a preserved lemon, skin onl, rinsed and finely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper

Makes 6 servings

Place all ingredients in a glass bowl and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Stir-Fried Lamb with Garlic and Basil

Every once in a while, I enjoy preparing a dish in my wok; here’s a favorite which I adapted from Ken Hom‘s Quick Wok:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean lamb steaks
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled  and thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Handful fresh basil leaves
• Handful fresh coriander sprigs

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornflour

Directions

1. Cut the lamb into thin slices. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade. Add the lamb, mix well and marinade for 20 minutes at room temperature. Drain and discard the marinade.
2. Heat a wok over high heat until it is very hot. Add the oil. when the oil becomes hot and starts tsmoking slighly add the the lamb and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes.
4. Finally toss in the basil and coriander, and continue to stir-fry for 1 more minute or until the herbs have wilted.
5. Turn onto a warm serving platter and serve at once.

The garlic and basil, the two aromatic ingredients, make this an unusual but delicious dish.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Lamb Stew with Sweet Bell Peppers

Last evening I had dinner with some friends, the main dish was absolutely delicious, looked great and its aroma alone was enough to make even the most satiated creature hungry again!  It was superb tasting, by any standard, even if I’m very partial to lamb.

When I asked the lady of the house for the recipe she referred me to a small book titled Mmmm… Casseroles, put out in 2010 by Parragon (under their Love Food imprint) in the UK. I can’t wait to make it myself, meanwhile here’s the recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean, boneless lamb such as leg of lamb or fillet
• 1 1/2 tablespoon all -purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 white onion sliced
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 1/4 cups orange juice
• 2/3 cup lamb or or chicken stock
• 1 cinnamon stick, bruised
• 2 red bell peppers (sweet pointed variety, if available) seeded and sliced into rings
• 4 tomatoes
• a few, fresh cilantro sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon to garnish
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Trim any fat or gristle from the lamb and cut into thin strips. Mix the flour and cloves together. Toss the lamb in the spiced flour until well coated and reserve any remaining spiced flour
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy bottom skillet and cook the lamb over high heat, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a casserole.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for 3 minutes adding the extra oil if necessary. Sprinkle in the resrved spiced flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes then remove from the heat. Gradually stir in the orange juice and stock. then return to the heat and bring to a boil stirring.
5. Pour over the lamb in the casserole, then add the cinnamon stick, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro sprigs and stir well. Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is tender.
6. Discard the cinnamon stick and adjust the seasoning adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with the chopped cilantro.

Aaah, this makes a perfect dish for a Shabbat dinner…

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS