By Diva Winterheart
Easter
dinner is one of those times when family and friends get together. Some
families have a traditional American dinner of ham or roast beef. Other
families follow the roast lamb tradition. Before we get to the food,
let's take a look at The Art of Roast Lamb.
The Art of Roast Lamb
Roast lamb is a magnificent thing. The complex flavor is bold yet
delicate, the texture is a study in contrasts between the crisp,
flavorful exterior and the tender, juicy interior, and the heady aroma
brings a tear of joy to the eye and a bit of drool to the chin. A roast
this perfect is within your grasp - in fact, it's amazingly easy, and
we'll tell you just how to do it!
Choosing the Right Cut
Roasting is a "dry heat" cooking method, meaning that you do not add
any liquid to the meat as you cook it. Dry heat is best for cuts of
meat that are naturally tender. In the case of lamb, these cuts include
the leg and the rack . When you see a picture of a rack of lamb, there
are usually several individual bones protruding from it. This fancy
style of preparation is known as a "Frenched " rack of lamb, and the
look is accomplished by trimming the fat and meat from between the ribs
and scraping the bones clean; your butcher ought to be able to do this
for you at your request. You can save the meat trimmings to make soup
later on.
Splendidly Seasoned
Lamb is flavorful enough on its own that it doesn't need a great deal
of complicated spicing or marinating to accent the flavor. Conversely,
lamb's flavor is robust enough that it pairs beautifully with any
number of boldly flavored seasonings. Some additions that complement
lamb wonderfully are rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemon zest,
cumin, coriander, mint and garlic (although not necessarily all at
once!). Before seasoning the lamb, trim some of the excess fat if you
like, in addition to any silver skin . Chop up your herbs and
seasonings of choice and rub the mixture evenly over the surface of the
meat. Wrap the coated meat tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it
overnight for the best flavor. Another popular way to season a roast is
to make small incisions in the surface of the meat and push slivers of
garlic and sprigs of herbs into the slits. You can do this right before
you begin roasting, or do it a day ahead of time for a more intense
flavor. Season the lamb however you like, but remember one important
thing: Never, ever salt it until just before cooking! Salt will leach
the moisture out of the meat, leaving you with a bone-dry roast.
Roasted to Perfection
Before roasting your lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it
to sit for 30 minutes or so. A piece of meat at room temperature will
roast more evenly. It's always better to use a roasting rack to ensure
even browning and heat circulation, so use one if you've got it, and
buy one if you don't. The amount of fat that your piece of lamb has
surrounding the outside and marbled through the middle will determine
the cooking time and temperature you use. For a lean piece of meat,
you'll want to put it in a blazing hot (450 degrees F/230 degrees C)
oven for the first 15 minutes or so, and then turn the temperature down
to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to continue roasting. Using this
method, the meat will take about 25 minutes per pound to reach medium
rare. Using a hot oven in this manner will allow leaner cuts of meat to
get nicely browned on the outside before they become overcooked and dry
in the middle.
Fattier pieces of meat, on the other hand, are better when roasted at a
lower temperature (325 degrees F/160 degrees C) for a longer period of
time, allowing the fat to slowly melt and bathe the tender roast in its
own juices. Meat cooked with this method will take about 30 minutes per
pound to reach medium rare. The most accurate way to determine doneness
is with a meat thermometer : 110 degrees F (42 degrees C) is rare, 120
degrees F (58 degrees C) is medium-rare, and 145 degrees F (68 degrees
C) is medium-well. We don't recommend that you cook your lamb beyond
this temperature, or it will become dried-out and tough.
Rest Your Roast!
Once your roast is within 10 degrees F (5 degrees C) of its ideal
doneness, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 or 20
minutes with a tent of foil placed very loosely over it. As the meat
rests, the internal temperature will increase by a several degrees, the
muscle fibers will relax, and the juice that has come to the surface of
the meat during cooking will begin to return to the center. A
well-rested piece of meat will be more tender, and will retain its
juices better when you slice it.
Now that your head is filled with visions of succulent roast lamb, here
are some recipes to help you satisfy that craving:
EASTER MENU
Easter Hot Cross Buns
Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon
Fresh Asparagus with Buttered Almonds
Potato and White Cheddar Gratin
Easter Sunday Leg of Lamb with Apricots
Easter Lemonade Dessert
| Easter Hot
Cross Buns |
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Ingredients:
1/4 C. water, lukewarm
1/2 C. sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cloves
3/4 C. milk, warm
1/4 C. butter, melted
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 C. currants
1/4 C. mixed candied peel,
chopped
Glaze:
2 T. sugar
2 T. water
Icing:
1/2 C. icing sugar
2 t. water
Directions:
In measure, combine warm water with 1 tbsp of the sugar; sprinkle yeast
over top. Let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy. Meanwhile, in large
bowl, blend together remaining sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and
cloves; make a well in center.
In small bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg and egg yolk; pour into
well. Pour in yeast mixture. Using wooden spoon, stir until soft dough
forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead for 8 minutes or
until smooth and elastic.
Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic
wrap; let rise in warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch
down; turn out onto floured surface; knead in currants and peel. Shape
into 12-inch log; cut into 9 even pieces.
Stretch, tuck and pinch sides of dough all around to meet underneath.
Using cupped hand, roll into seamless ball. Place 2 inches apart on
greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 35 minutes or until
impression remains when dough is poked.
Bake buns in 400°F oven for about 16 minutes or until golden
brown.
Glaze:
In saucepan, stir sugar with water over medium heat until dissolved.
Brush over buns. Let cool.
Icing:
Stir together icing sugar and water. Using piping bag fitted with round
tip, pipe cross on top of each cooled bun.
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| Spinach
Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon |
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Ingredients:
1
tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4
teaspoon dijon mustard
3
tablespoons olive oil
1/2
pound fresh spinach (6 c. packed)
washed,
stems discarded
1
cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
3
slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/2
cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2
cup crumbled blue cheese (or feta)
Directions:
In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, the mustard, and salt
and pepper to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the
dressing until it is emulsified. In a bowl combine the spinach, the
mushrooms, the bacon, the onion, the blue cheese, and the dressing and
toss the salad until it is combined well. Serves 2
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Fresh
Asparagus with Buttered Almonds
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Ingredients:
3
T. butter
1
C. sliced almonds
salt
freshly
ground black pepper
1
lb. fresh pencil asparagus, trimmed and blanched
Directions:
In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the
almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until golden, about
2 minutes. Add the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté
for 2 minutes. Remove and serve. Makes 4 to 6 Servings
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| Potato and
White Cheddar Gratin |
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Ingredients:
3 quarts water
2 pounds yellow flesh potatoes,
peeled -- cut 3/4" thick round
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white cheddar, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ground black
pepper
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400ºF. The potatoes need to be parboiled before
they are baked, but its important not to overcook them during this
step. In a large pot, bring the water to boil.. Add the potatoes and
cook until barely tender when pricked with the times of a fork, 3 to 4
minutes. Drain into a colander and then run cold water over the
potatoes for a couple of minutes to halt the cooking.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When it begins
to foam, whisk in the flour until a paste forms, about 30 seconds,
Immediately whisk in 1/4 cup of the milk and reduce the heat to low.
Whisking continuously, gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup milk. When
the sauce has thickened , after about 5 minutes, stir in a 1 cup of the
cheese until it melts and the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove
from the heat and set aside.
Select a 1 1/2-quart baking dish, preferably round or oval, with 2 1/2
to 3 inch sides. Rub the dish first with the olive oil and then with
garlic. Discard the garlic. Cover the bottom of the dish with potato
slices, arranging them in a single layer and slightly overlapping them.
Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the sauce evenly over the layer.
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Easter Sunday
Leg of Lamb with Apricots
Ingredients:
5-6 lb (2-3kg) leg of lamb, part boned
6oz (175kg) ready to eat apricots
1lb(500g) shallots
juice of one orange
1 tbsp. clear honey
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
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Directions:
Soak the apricots in orange
juice for 2 hours to soften, then
pack the meat with the apricots in the space where the bone has been
removed. Tie the lamb joint neatly with string.
Heat oven to 350F. Put the meat on a rack in a roasting pan, place
above the center of the oven and cook allowing 25 minutes per 1lb.
About an hour before the end of cooking time, place the whole unpeeled
shallots around the joint in the pan. Mix the mustard with the honey.
Thirty minutes before end of cooking time, lift the meat from the pan
and pour off nearly all the fat. Replace the meat and spread the honey
mixture over the surface. Return to oven to complete the cooking time.
Leave to stand for 20 minutes before serving with a little of the pan
juices heated with stock. Serves 6
Easter Lemonade
Dessert
Ingredients:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade
concentrate
1 (10") tube angel food cake
1/2 c. sugar
2 beaten eggs
Dash of salt
1/4 c. water
1 (14-1/2 oz.) can evaporated milk
Directions:
Chill evaporated milk and whip. Mix gelatin, sugar and salt. Add eggs
and water. Cook and stir until gelatin dissolves, remove from heat.
Stir in lemonade concentrate and chill until partially set. Fold in
whipped milk. Rub brown crumbs off cake and break into bite size
pieces. Cover bottom of 10" tube pan with thin layer of gelatin
mixture. Loosely arrange 1/3 of cake pieces on top. Pour 1/3 of
remaining gelatin and repeat process. Chill until firm. 12 servings.
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