Wild Ginger

I grew up in the Los Angeles area, near Hollywood where the Musso & Frank Grill is an institution. This simple and classic recipe for lamb shanks is theirs, proudly served for the last 88 years.

INGREDIENTS
4 lamb shanks
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
     Salt & pepper
8 medium carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
8 small Crimini mushrooms (caps only)
8 small slice celery
1 (8-oz.) can of tomato sauce
1 cup peas (frozen are fine)

PREPARATION

• Sprinkle the lamb shanks with garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, turning frequently to brown on all sides
• Add carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery, and tomato sauce
• Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until meat is tender
• Add peas after 30 minutes baking time

This is a classic Moghul recipe for lamb with spinach. The spinach should be cut in small pieces: hold a handful at a time in a tight wad and slice, crosswise, into fine strips. Serve with Indian breads (or rice), and a yogurt dish.

INGREDIENTS
1¼ lbs. boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 tsp peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
7 garlic cloves, crushed to a pulp
2 tbsp ground coriander
5 tbsp corn or peanut oil
1 cup onion, sliced into very fine half-rings
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
¾ to 1½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp plain yogurt
1 lb fresh spinach, washed and cut into fine ribbons (see above)

PREPARATION

• In a bowl, mix the meat, ginger, garlic, and coriander and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Pour the oil into a heavy, lidded, large pan and set over medium heat. When hot, stir in the onions, and fry them, turning the heat down as needed, until they are golden red and crisp. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and spread them out on a paper towel, leaving as much of the oil behind as possible.
• Reduce the heat to medium, and put in all the meat, together with its marinade. Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt, and stir for 1 minute. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, removing the lid occasionally to stir the contents.
• Remove the lid and add 1 tablespoon of the yogurt. Cook, stirring, until the yogurt is absorbed. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of the yogurt in this way, 1 tablespoon at a time. Then stir in the spinach.
• Chop the fried onions and add these as well. Continue to stir until the spinach has wilted. Then cover the pan and cook over very low heat for 50 minutes, or until the meat is tender, lifting the lid to stir now and then. If the liquid seems to have dried up completely, add a few tablespoons of water at a time and cover again. The spinach should cling to the meat.

I'm republishing (or shameless swiping, depending on your view) Rick Bayless' recipe from his "Mexico:One Plate at a Time" television series. It's a wonderful preparation when you want lamb, but a different preparation! Or, if you're looking for a good Mexican dish that is worthy of a dinner party.

We like lamb in our house, and generally eat it prepared in a classic French fashion: with rosemary and thyme, often with garlic. Bayless' recipe is a wonderful Mexican preparation that imparts a lovely honey flavor mixed with the earthy goodness of the mild Pasilla chile. You can hardly go wrong with applying some sort of paste to meat made from dried, mild chilies before grilling it.

INGREDIENTS
6 garlic cloves
6 (about 2 ounces total) dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into flat pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
¼ teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon cumin, preferably freshly ground
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons vinegar (I prefer balsamic here)
Salt
2 lamb racks (each should have 8 rib bones and weigh about 1 ¾ to 2 pounds)
Olive or vegetable oil to brush or spray on the racks
1 small red onion, finely chopped
About ¼ cup Mexican queso añejo or another garnishing cheese like Romano or Parmesan
Flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

PREPARATION
1. The pasilla marinade. Roast the unpeeled garlic on one side of a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in spots, about 15 minutes; cool and peel. While the garlic is roasting, toast the chile pieces a few at a time on another side of the skillet, pressing them down firmly with a spatula for a few seconds, until they release a toasty aroma, then flipping them, and pressing down the other side. Scoop the chiles into a small bowl, cover with hot water and soak 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the soaking water.
In a food processor blender, combine the chiles, 1/3 cup of soaking liquid, garlic, oregano, pepper, cumin, honey, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend to a smooth pure, scraping down and stirring frequently. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl.

2. Marinating. Lay the meat into a baking dish. Smear both sides of the racks with about 1/3 of the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, if time permits.

3. The salsa. Stir enough water into the remaining marinade to give it drizzleable consistency—it usually takes at least ¼ cup. Cover and set aside at room temperature (or refrigerate if not using within a couple of hours).

4. Grilling. Light a gas grill, setting the temperature at medium-high on one side, medium-low on the other; or light a charcoal fire, letting the coals burn until they’re covered with white ash but still very hot, then bank them to one side. Using the side of a spoon, scrape the marinade off the meat, reserving it for basting later. Brush or spray the lamb racks with oil and lay them, meaty “cap”-side down, onto the hottest part of the grill, when they are well seared (“marked” with the grill grate pattern, as we say in the restaurant kitchen), about 2 minutes, flip them over and sear on the boney underside. Baste the top with the reserved marinade, then move them to the cooler part of the grill and let them cook until as done as you like, usually about 5 minutes for medium-rare.

5. Serving. It’s best to let the meat rest for a few minutes on a very cool part of the grill or in a very low oven, to reabsorb the meat’s tasty juices. Then slice the chops between the bones. Drizzle a little of the salsa on each of 4 warm dinner plates and sprinkle with the onion. Arrange the meat over the top and sprinkle with the cheese and parsley leaves. Serve right away.

Shepard's pie is another classic comfort food and one of my favorites. Most people tend to make it with ground meat, and I've specified that in the recipe for simplicity, but I highly recommend using left overs from a leg of lamb if you have it - chop the meat up and top with leftover gravy, too, if you've got it!

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 pound ground lamb
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chopped fresh or dry rosemary
1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 cup frozen peas
2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
Kosher salt to taste

PREPARATION

• Heat oven to 375°F
• Heat oil in a large skillet
• Add onion, carrot, and meat - cook until meat is browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Drain fat and add broth, tomato paste, and herbs. Simmer until juices thicken, about 10 minutes
• Add peas.
• Pour mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish - set aside.
• Bring potatoes to a boil in salted water - cook until tender (about 20 minutes) and drain.
• Mash potatoes with butter, milk & salt.
• Spread mashed potatoes over meat mixture - crosshatch top with a fork
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes until top is golden brown

I'll post some scruptious, true curry dishes but this simple version of curry is how I loved to learn Lamb Curry (admitedly, without the apples, usually). If we had a leg of lamb on Sunday, chances are I could count on this dish on Tuesday. Best made with leftovers from a roast, this recipes assumes that's how you'll make it!

INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 cups cooked lamb in medium sized pieces
2 tbsp flour
1 ¼ cups of chicken stock
2 tsp perpared curry powder
2 tart apples, peeled and cut into wedges
Salt and ground pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Saute onions in butter slowly in a large, heavy skillet until onions are transluscent
• Addd the lamb and spinkle on flour when meat is warmed through - stir to blend in thoroughly with lamb and onions
• Add hot stock, stirring until consistantly thickened.
• Add curry, apples, salt and pepper and simmer, covered for 5 to 10 minutes.

Server with "Little Boys" - seperate ramikans containing golden raisins, chopped peanuts, chopped scallions, chutney, and chopped egg for diners to garnish the top of curry after served.

INGREDIENTS
1 large garlic clove
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 (2-lb) piece trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 ¼-inch cubes
3 medium zucchini (1 ½ lb total)
24 large cherry tomatoes (¾ lb total)

Special equipment: 16 (12-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in warm water 1 hour

PREPARATION
Preparing lamb

• Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife.
• Whisk together garlic paste, lemon juice, and pepper in a large bowl, then whisk in oil, thyme, and rosemary until combined well.
• Put lamb in a large sealable bag, then add 3/4 cup herb marinade and seal bag, pressing out excess air.
• Marinate lamb, chilled, at least 6 hours or up to 8. Reserve remaining marinade, covered and chilled.

Prepare an hour before grilling:

• Halve zucchini lengthwise, then cut diagonally crosswise, alternating direction with each cut, to create triangle shapes.
• Put zucchini in another large sealable bag, then pour reserved marinade over zucchini and seal bag, pressing out excess air.
• Marinate zucchini at room temperature 1 hour. (Marinating zucchini any longer will result in a mushy texture.)

Grilling:

• Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderately high heat for gas).
• While grill is heating, drain lamb, discarding marinade, then thread cubes 1/4 inch apart onto 8 skewers.
• Transfer zucchini to a bowl, reserving marinade, and thread zucchini onto 4 skewers (without lamb).
• Thread tomatoes onto remaining 4 skewers.
• Lightly oil grill rack and grill kebabs (covered only if using gas grill), turning occasionally, until tomatoes are softened but not falling apart, 2 to 3 minutes; zucchini is tender, 4 to 6 minutes; and lamb is medium-rare, about 6 minutes.
• Serve kebabs drizzled with reserved marinade (from zucchini).