Showing posts sorted by relevance for query lamb. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query lamb. Sort by date Show all posts
Roast leg of lamb is something that a lot of people like to enjoy for Easter. One, this is the season of Lamb, Spring, and two, its just that tiny bit more special than a regular roast and much different than the turkey of Christmas.
Lamb just feels glamorous.
Shoulder of lamb is also very nice. I have cooked it on here before and it is succulent and melts in the mouth. You can find my recipe for slow roasted shoulder of lamb here. I've also cooked a boneless leg of lamb.
Today I am roasting a bone in leg of lamb and I am channeling Mary Berry's recipe for a Greek Roast Lamb. It is quite different than my usual leg of lamb.
First of all it is very simple and requires only a very few ingredients. Secondly it cooks long and slow. I am used to lamb being served medium rare, so this makes a bit of a change. I wasn't sure, but, if Mary Berry says its good, who am I to quibble!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A LEG OF LAMB
Lets face it, lamb is not the cheapest meat around. If you are going to spend your hard earned cash on a piece of meat you want to make sure you are getting the best cut possible for your money spent.
When buying lamb, you want to look for meat that is brownish pink in color with a layer of creamy white fat on the outside.
Avoid lamb that is grey in color, excessively bloody or has very yellow greasy fat. This means that the lamb is not as fresh as it should be, and I would be very suspicious of it.
Age and breed of the animal can vary the color somewhat. Rare lamb breeds or older animals tend to have more deeply colored flesh.
Leg of lamb can come both bone in and boneless. The boneless will have had the bone removed and the meat rolled and tied into a roast shape. Both are very good.
WHAT YOU NEED TO COOK MARY BERRY'S GREEK ROAST LAMB
Very simple ingredients and not a lot of them.
- 4 lb. (2kg) leg of lamb
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
- 2 large rosemary sprigs, chopped
- 1 TBS olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- chopped fresh rosemary to garnish
You could use dried rosemary for this, but I think that fresh rosemary is much better. In England rosemary used to grow wild in a lot of the hedges. I was never very far from fresh rosemary. I miss that!
It seems like a lot of garlic, but don't worry, it is the perfect amount. For the most part the slivers melt right into the meat, giving it the perfect flavor.
HOW TO MAKE MARY BERRY'S GREEK ROAST LAMB
It really couldn't be easier. Trust me. Trust Mary!
Bring your lamb to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator at least half an hour prior to roasting it.
Take a sharp knife and cut small incisions down into the lamb. Insert a sliver of garlic into each incision.
Rub the lamb all over with the chopped rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop the roast into a deep roasting tin.
Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C. gas mark 7. Once the oven is hot put the roasting tin with the lamb into the oven.
Roast for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 285*F/140*C/ gas mark 1. Cover and cook for a further 3 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is really tender.
Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Carve the lamb and serve hot, garnished with rosemary with any pan juices spooned over top if desired.
SOME TASTY SAUCES TO SERVE WITH LAMB
Mint sauce - Combine 3 TBS finely chopped mint in a small bowl with 1 - 2 TBS fine sugar. Add 3 TBS white wine vinegar and stir well to combine.
Cumberland Sauce - Spoon 4 TBS of red currant jelly into a small saucepan. Heat gently to melt. Add 1/2 cup (120ml) red wine and the finely grated zest of one orange. Simmer, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the juice of 1 orange and 1/2 lemon. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and then strain into a sauce boat.
Tzatziki Sauce - Put 2/3 cup/150g of Greek yogurt into a small bowl. Whisk in the grated zest and juice of one lemon. 1 crushed clove of peeled garlic, 1 TBS chopped fresh mint and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until needed.
I will admit that I had a few reservations with this. I am used to my lamb being a lot pinker, but this was incredibly delicious. Tender and juicy.
The garlic was not overpowering in the least but flavored the lamb beautifully. It melted right into the meat. The fat on the outside was nice and crispy
She did suggest spooning the pan juices over the meat if you wanted to, but I have always found lamb juices to be a bit on the fatty side and prefer to either make a gravy separate, but mostly I just like to enjoy it with a sauce like mint sauce, or Cumberland sauce.
I also really love mint jelly with lamb.
This was delicious served with some boiled new potatoes rolled in butter and fresh herbs. I also served peas and carrots (with a bit of mint stirred in), some mashed sweet potatoes and mint sauce.
Some other delicious side dishes that you might enjoy are:
TWO POTATO GRATIN - Thinly sliced potatoes, sweet and white, layered in a dish with chopped onion, a bit of flour, seasoning and milk. The milk thickens and creates a rich and creamy sauce.
CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI CHEESE - You can also use just one or the other. Lovely tender vegetables in a rich and delicious cheese sauce, baked until golden brown on the outside.
BUTTER FRIED PARSNIPS - If you enjoy parsnips prepare to fall in love. Exactly what it says. Tender crisp golden rounds of parsnip fried in butter. Delicious!
HONEY DILL GLAZED TURNIPS & CARROTS - Lightly glazed with some butter and honey, then flavoured with dill . . . these arrive at the table glistening like jewels.
Yield: 6
Mary Berry's Greek Roast Lamb
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 4 HourInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 4 H & 20 M
Perfectly cooked tender and juicy. Just what you would expect from Mary Berry.
Ingredients
- 4 lb. (2kg) leg of lamb
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
- 2 large rosemary sprigs, chopped
- 1 TBS olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- chopped fresh rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Bring your lamb to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator at least half an hour prior to roasting it.
- Take a sharp knife and cut small incisions down into the lamb. Insert a sliver of garlic into each incision.
- Rub the lamb all over with the chopped rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop the roast into a deep roasting tin.
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C. gas mark 7. Once the oven is hot put the roasting tin with the lamb into the oven.
- Roast for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 285*F/140*C/ gas mark 1. Cover and cook for a further 3 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is really tender.
- Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
- Carve the lamb and serve hot, garnished with rosemary with any pan juices spooned over top if desired.
Notes
Some sauces for lamb:
Mint sauce - Combine 3 TBS finely chopped mint in a small bowl with 1 - 2 TBS fine sugar. Add 3 TBS white wine vinegar and stir well to combine.
Cumberland Sauce - Spoon 4 TBS of red currant jelly into a small saucepan. Heat gently to melt. Add 1/2 cup (120ml) red wine and the finely grated zest of one orange. Simmer, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the juice of 1 orange and 1/2 lemon. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and then strain into a sauce boat.
Tzatziki Sauce - Put 2/3 cup/150g of Greek yogurt into a small bowl. Whisk in the grated zest and juice of one lemon. 1 crushed clove of peeled garlic, 1 TBS chopped fresh mint and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until needed.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I confess that lamb was not something I had ever eaten prior to moving here to the UK. My mother did cook lamb chops once when I was a teenager, but they smelled like burning mittens so none of us would eat them. I strongly suspect it was mutton and not lamb. In any case, the smell was enough to put us all off for a very long time.
My mother often spoke of a lamb stew that she had enjoyed in the hospital when she was having my brother. It was a taste memory that she carried with her all the days of her life. My brother just turned 60 last week, so that was a very long time to be thinking about what something tasted like.
I know all about that. The summer before 12th grade I went on a school exchange trip and we stayed at Carlton University in Ottawa. Each night we were taken to a restaurant in Ottawa called "The Cascade Restaurant." The very first night I ordered the Barbequed Chicken. It was so good I ordered it every night that we were there and I have been thinking about the taste of it ever since!
Taste memories can be very specific and they stick in your brain, often becoming even more delicious (or not as it were) in the memory as years go by!
My ex husband would never eat or try lamb because his father wouldn't and so it was not something I ever cooked when we were married. It was not until Todd and I got married that I took the risk of trying it.
Our church congregation had taken us out for supper at a restaurant to celebrate our marriage and there was saddle of lamb on the menu at the restaurant. I took a chance, ordered it and I have to say I fell in love with it at first bite.
This was proper lamb. British lamb. Succulent, tender and almost sweet. It was incredibly edibly delicious.
Since the I have enjoyed lamb in many ways. I do so adore a good lamb stew and I have several really delicious recipes fot that on here. This Simple Lamb Stew is beautiful and probably my favourite. Then there is my Lamb Stew with Feather Dumplings, also very good. I also have a delicious recipe for Small Batch Irish Lamb Stew which is very pleasing!
I also have several recipes for lamb chops. Spiced Lamb Chops with Roasted Roots. which has a very Indian-like feel to it. One of my favourites is Garlic Lamb Cutlets with a Mint and Sun Blush Tomato Sauce.
There are actually quite a few Lamb Recipes on this blog. You can access all of them here. Tagines and stews, and steaks, etc. All very delicious, I can assure you. These chops I am sharing today are especially delicious. They are seasoned and flash fried, and then a super simple honey, mustard and balsamic vinegar glaze is produced in the pan drippings.
They are coated in this and briefly reheated before serving. Oh but they are so delicious. Tender, perfectly cooked, and that flavourful glaze, well . . . its like manna from heaven.
Honey Mustard & Balsamic Lamb Chops
Yield: 4
These cook quickly and taste amazing. Quantities are for four but I have put quantities for two in brackets should you wish to serve a smaller family.
ingredients:
- 4 (8) lamb chops, well trimmed
- freshly ground black pepper
- fine sea salt
- light olive oil to fry
- 120ml (60ml) good balsamic vinegar (1/2 cup (1/4 cup)
- 2 (1)TBS liquid honey
- 2 (1) TBS grainy Dijon mustard
- 2 (1) cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 6 (3) sprigs of fresh rosemary
instructions:
How to cook Honey Mustard & Balsamic Lamb Chops
- Pat the lamb chops dry and season all over on both sides with salt and black pepper to taste. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard and garlic. Set aside.
- Heat a bit of oil in a large non-stick skillet along with the rosemary. Add the seasoned chops and sear well on both sides, cooking for about 2 minutes per side, or to the level of doneness you desire. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
- Add the balsamic vinegar mix to the pan and allow it to bubble up. Cook until the mixture thickens and turns sticky. Return the chops to the pan, turning to coat them in the glaze. Serve immediately.
We enjoy our lamb on the pink side. Its so juicy and tender. Today I servd it with some Dauphinoise Potatoes and Steamed Brussels Sprouts. This was a fabulous dinner! I have given quantities so you can either cook for 4 or for 2. I also like to use French trimmed loin chops. The meat is so succulent and delicious.
I learned to love two things over the 20 + years that I spent in the UK. One of them was lamb, and the other was the cooking of Nigel Slater.
Lamb was not something I had ever really had when I was growing up. My mother did buy lamb chops once, but they smelled like burning mittens when she was cooking them so nobody would eat them.
It was probably not good lamb. I only came to love and appreciate lamb after moving over to the UK. Our wedding supper was held at a restaurant and we were allowed to pick whatever we wanted from the menu.
I decided to be brave and picked Saddle of Lamb. It was delicious. I fell in love at first bite and have been cooking lamb ever since. They had beautiful lamb in the UK.
I know you are all familiar with what lamb is, but you may not be so familiar with who Nigel Slater is. Nigel Slater is a cook who writes. He is not a classically trained Chef, but he is every bit as popular as any celebrity chef.
He's been writing a food column for the Observer every weekend for 27 years, and is the author of multiple cookbooks. He has also had several very popular series on the television, and a movie made about him called simply "Toast."
He is a man who loves to cook and who loves to eat and who loves to write about it. He cooks the way I love to cook and to eat. Its that simple.
I have a few of his cookery books. Not as many as I used to have because I am having to replace the ones I left behind, but I am starting off with his best (in my honest opinion), The Kitchen Diaries. There are three volumes and they are exactly what the title says. Kitchen Diaries.
Taken from Diaries he kept throughout the year of his adventures in the garden, kitchen, etc. Recipe journal, kitchen chronical. I find them fascinating and filled with loads of inspiration and great recipes.
What I love most about his recipes is that they are great jumping off points for doing my own thing. I have replaced all three of the kitchen diaries (one at a time) and have just gifted myself with the two Volumes of Tender (again one at a time.)
The recipe which inspired what I am sharing with you today comes from the first volume of The Kitchen Diaries, which is something which he cooked on the 7th of May. I am cooking it a tiny bit later in the year.
When my sister and I were at the Super Store the other day I spied some lamb chops. I have not had lamb since I arrived back in Canada last November and I was so tempted by them that I picked up a small package.
They were a bit pricey at over $8 for three chops, but sometimes you just have to fill your yearnings for what you love and enjoy, especially food wise. I have only me to please now, so why not
They were nice thick chops as well, with abundant tenderloin bits on the sides. Loin chips are like the T-bones of the lamb kingdom, with a nice little chunk of meat on one side of the T-bone and a little nugget of tender lamb on the other. (No surprise that is my favorite part!)
Of course I wanted to cook them perfectly. I didn't want to be wasting these prime cuts of meat. I looked to Nigel for inspiration and found this recipe, amongst a few others.
This felt and read like what I wanted to cook today and I happened to have some new potatoes in my cupboard. I did improvise on the recipe quite a bit, but most good cooks do.
He starts off by boiling some new potatoes in a pan of lightly salted water. I did that as well. His chops were simply seasoned with salt and black pepper.
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to be exact.
He heated some olive oil in a heavy based skillet along with the finely grated zest of one fresh lemon and some fresh mint. I did not have fresh mint, so used dried and it worked fine.
I took the liberty of adding two fat cloves of garlic that I peeled, bashed and split open. These helped to flavor the oil that the chops were going to be fried in.
Simply fried, just until golden brown, seared really so that the lamb inside stays nice and pink and tender. But the juices of the lamb mingle with the olive oil, mint, lemon and garlic to make a lush pan juice.
He had merely crushed the potatoes into the pan juices at the end. I decided that I would fry them in the pan juices and brown them off a bit, before adding the lemon juice at the end.
The potatoes are boiled until tender. I lightly crushed them before adding them to the pan. Cracked them more or less, that way there were lots of craggy bits to brown and get a bit crisp. (I removed the lamb to a plate, keeping it warm and tented.)
That afforded me the time to really get the potatoes a bit crispy. And then I added the lamb back to the pan and squeezed over the lemon juice.
Leaving the skin on the potatoes and cracking them open rather than slicing or mashing them, gave them added interest I thought.
Well, the picture speaks for itself. Nothing there but the pan juices and golden crispy edged potatoes, lightly flavored with the lemon at the end.
And then I threw them into the pan with the potatoes and the lamb, coating them with some of those lush pan juices as well.
This was a beautiful combination. Tender moist pieces of lamb . . . crispy tender potatoes . . . lemon, mint and garlic pan juices.
Crispy tender beans . . .
You can see how perfectly cooked the lamb was. Just pink. Succulent. Delicious.
This combination made for a really wonderful dinner for myself. Cooking for one or two doesn't have to be boring. In fact if it is, then you're doing something wrong! (Now you know why I look the way I do.)
Many thanks to Nigel for the delicious inspiration!!
Lamb with Lemon, Mint & Potatoes
Yield: 2
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min
I wanted to take advantage of the flavors of the new potatoes that are showing up in the shops and paired them with some tender lamb chops. Inspired by Nigel Slater.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound smallish new potatoes
- 4 lamb loin chops
- one medium fresh lemon, zest and juice
- 1/2 tsp dried mint
- two fat cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- light olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until they test tender when prodded with the sharp end of a knife.
- While they are cooking, heat the olive oil, mint, mashed garlic cloves and lemon zest in a large heavy bottomed skillet. Add some seasoning.
- Season the lamb chops all over with some salt and pepper.
- Once the oil begins to sizzle, add the lamb chops. Cook for two minutes on one side until it begins to color, then flip over and cook the other side, again until brown. Remove from the heat and tent with some foil.
- Scoop out your cooked potatoes into the pan with the oil, mint, garlic, etc. Mash lightly with a fork. Allow them to brown before flipping them over to brown lightly on the underside. Add the chops back to the pan. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over top and heat everything through.
- Serve two chops each, along with some of the browned potatoes and pan juices.
- I like to eat mine with some mint sauce or jelly.
One thing which I really learned to love when I was in the UK was lamb. It was not something which I had ever really eaten very much of prior to going over there to live.
At our wedding supper I had roasted saddle of lamb and it was delicious. I fell in love. It was so tasty! My mother had only ever cooked lamb chops once for us when we were children. I think it was mutton actually as it smelled like she was burning mittens when she was cooking them.
None of us would touch them.
Mom had always spoken fondly of a lamb stew she had enjoyed whilst in the hospital giving birth to my brother. She had thought it delicious and I suppose she was wanting to explore a taste memory she had. All that did was to create a bad taste memory for us, lol. Or bad smell memory in any case.
I am so happy that I had the opportunity to live in the UK and taste really good lamb.
My sister and I were in the Super Store on Saturday and she said to me, did you see the lamb? No, I hadn't so I went back to take a look. Nova Scotia lamb! I was excited. Not previously frozen lamb from New Zealand.
This was a rare find. I could not resist buying myself a small package of lamb chops. They were not cheap. I paid $55.09 a kg for them, which meant that my small package of two small chops cost me $11.04.
But I could not resist the opportunity to taste Nova Scotia Northumberland Lamb. No matter how pricey it was.
I decided to cook it very simply. I was looking for recipes, but I did not want the flavor of the lamb to get lost in everything else. I decided to simply dust it with some salt, pepper and thyme and then pan fry it in some butter and a bit of oil, with some lemon zest and simply glazing it with a mix of fresh lemon juice and honey.
I also pan fried some potatoes to go with it and I oven roasted the rest of that tender stem cauliflower from the other day.
Lamb has such a lovely delicate flavor. I didn't want to hide or mask it with strong flavors. It was a good call on my part. The lamb was tender and juicy, perfectly cooked and the lemon, honey and thyme highlighted its delicate flavor perfectly!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE LAMB CHOPS WITH HONEY, LEMON & THYME
Very simple ingredients really. You don't need to do the potatoes with the lamb if you don't want to, but I do think they made for a very delicious side. Although I only cooked two chops, I have given ingredient amounts for four.
- 4 bone in rib lamb chops, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- the zest of 1/2 lemon, cut into long shreds (julienne)
- the juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 TBS runny honey (I used Greek)
For the potatoes:
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- sea salt, black pepper and paprika to taste
I used a potato peeler to thinly pare the lemon zest from the lemon. Take care not to get any of the white pith from underneath as this is quite bitter. Just pare it off in thin strips and then use a sharp knife to julienne it.
I used a Greek honey, but any liquid honey will do. Try to pick one with a nice flavor. Something flowery. Chestnut honey would be really nice if you can get it.
I used dry thyme because I had no fresh. If you have fresh thyme, use just the leaves and roughly twice the amount.
HOW TO MAKE LAMB CHOPS WITH HONEY, LEMON & THYME
This goes together very simply and quickly. The times I have suggested will yield perfectly cooked medium/rare lamb chops which are still nice and pink in the center.
Take your lamb chops and rub them all over on both sides with the thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside while you start the potatoes.
Melt the butter in a skillet along with the oil. Once the butter starts to foam add the potato slices. Sprinkle all over with the pepper, salt and paprika. Cook slowly over medium heat until just beginning to turn on the bottom, flip over and season the other side with pepper, salt and paprika.
Cover with a lid and cook on medium low for about 10 minutes, until golden brown on the bottoms and cooked through.
Increase the heat to medium high.
Push the potatoes over to one side. Add the lamb chops and sear on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, flip over. Add the lemon zest strips to the pan. Sear the chops on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes.
Squeeze over the lemon juice and drizzle over the honey. Turn the chops over to coat them in both the honey and the lemon.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for a few minutes.
Divide the lamb and potatoes between two heated plates, spooning some of the juices from the pan over the lamb. Serve immediately.
The potatoes were lovely and crispy and also perfectly cooked. My tender stem cauliflower (contrary to how it looks) was also beautifully cooked. I had it in the oven at 425*F/220*C tossed with a bit of oil and seasoning for the whole time I was cooking the meat and potatoes. It was crispy tender.
I really enjoyed this meal. Although the meat was quite pricey it was a real treat. I would buy it again. Definitely.
It has been a real pleasure to be able to highlight a Nova Scotia product here on the blog. I hope to do more posts doing so in the future.
If, like me, you are also fond of lamb, might I also suggest these other recipes to cook:
SLOW ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER - If you are lucky enough to be able to get your hands on a shoulder of lamb, this is the perfect way to cook it. The meat ends up succulent and tender. This is fabulously delicious.
LAMB & DAMSON STEW - Lamb has a delicate almost sweet flavor that goes very well with fruit. You could also use apricots in this stew rather than plums if you cannot get the plums. It is incredibly tasty, especially with dumplings on top!
Yield: 2
Lamb Chops with Honey, Lemon & Thyme
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min
I was lucky enough to find some beautiful looking Nova Scotia Lamb and could not resist buying them. I wanted to cook them as simply as possible and this was the delicious result.
Ingredients
- 4 bone in rib lamb chops, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- the zest of 1/2 lemon, cut into long shreds
- the juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 TBS runny honey (I used Greek)
For the potatoes:
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- sea salt, black pepper and paprika to taste
Instructions
- Take your lamb chops and rub them all over on both sides with the thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside while you start the potatoes.
- Melt the butter in a skillet along with the oil. Once the butter starts to foam add the potato slices. Sprinkle all over with the pepper, salt and paprika. Cook slowly over medium heat until just beginning to turn on the bottom, flip over and season the other side with pepper, salt and paprika.
- Cover with a lid and cook on medium low for about 10 minutes, until golden brown on the bottoms and cooked through.
- Increase the heat to medium high.
- Push the potatoes over to one side. Add the lamb chops and sear on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, flip over. Add the lemon zest strips to the pan. Sear the chops on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Squeeze over the lemon juice and drizzle over the honey. Turn the chops over to coat them in both the honey and the lemon.
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for a few minutes.
- Divide the lamb and potatoes between two heated plates, spooning some of the juices from the pan over the lamb.
- Serve immediately.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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