by Buck on March 29, 2010
Lamb at Easter
Lamb is traditionally served at our Easter Dinner. There is something about lamb that is married to Spring and it works well with the joy of Easter. Easter dinner should be bright and warm after the solemn Good Friday that precedes Easter. The traditional Easter Egg hunt with the grandkids is first on our afternoon schedule. After the fun and awarding of small prizes for the number of eggs found our schedule calls for the gathering at Easter dinner. The Lamb fills the bill perfectly on Easter Sunday and is the dish which our whole family enjoys.
Roast Lamb at Easter
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon each of:
Fresh chopped rosemary, marjoram, thyme and (savory*)
3 or 4 crushed garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 lb. boned leg of lamb
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter-cut into 6 pieces
Preparation:
Pound then grind herbs and garlic in a mortar to form a paste
Gradually work in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Rub mixture over lamb
Tie lamb into a neat shape and place in a roasting pan
Leave at room temperature for 2 hours
Roast in preheated 425’ oven for 15 minutes
Reduce heat to 350’ and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes for pink meat
Baste with wine while cooking
Remove Lamb to a warm patter and cover with foil
Pour off most of the fat from roasting pan and then heat remaining drippings
Add wine, stirring and scraping over high heat
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring
Add the butter a piece at a time while stirring
Serving: Slice ½ of the roast generously and pour a little sauce over the slices
Garnish the plate around the roast with roughly chopped parsley for color
Notes: *Savory is a hot peppery herb that is not always easily found in the U.S.
If you can’t find it don’t worry the other herbs will carry the day
I think that the roast ½ sliced with the slices and remaining roast on the serving platter makes an attractive presentation;
Use a thermometer to check the meat for appropriate “doneness” before removing from the oven. I cut into the roast to check in addition to the thermometer reading
Make sure you cover the roast and set aside while making the gravy. The meat will “finish” while you are preparing the gravy.
Afterthoughts: The accompaniments to the lamb should be bright and traditional Easter items if you have the time and inclination. Thinking about lamb and Easter often makes me review my recipe for Paskha a traditional Russian Easter dessert similar to cheesecake.
I have never made the dish but may give it a try this year. It involves a clean clay flowerpot. This has intrigued me for years but I never had a pot that I felt comfortable cooking anything in after taking out the geraniums. If I do it this year I’ll buy a new flowerpot.
If any readers have Paskha advice or recipes send them along. I’ll appreciate it
by Buck on March 25, 2010
Looking through our recipes of favorite desserts it dawned that one of the special items was also gluten free. With the current growing interest in gluten free products there are many who would find this dessert a welcome addition to the recipe file.
The gluten free aspect of the flourless chocolate cake was never a reason that we made this cake. We are fortunate to have no problems with wheat or products containing wheat. We make this cake when we want to add a luscious chocolate dessert to our menu when entertaining.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
8 eggs
2 sticks butter, cut in chunks
¼ cup strong coffee
1 lb. semi sweet chocolate chips
8” Springform pan
Preparation::
Place oven rack in lower third of oven and heat to 325’
Line bottom of Springform with Parchment and grease sides
Set pan on foil sheet and wrap up sides
Place pan in a larger baking pan
Beat eggs till they double in volume( several minutes)
In a sauce pan melt chocolate chips and butter and add coffee
Fold 1/3 eggs in mixture with a spatula
Then fold mixture into rest of eggs
Pour into Springform pan and surround with boiling water
Bake 22-25 minutes till crust form on top
Cool COMPLETELY before removing from pan
Serving: Sprinkle with powdered sugar and decorate with red raspberries or strawberries
Note: add 30 minutes cooking time at higher elevations(7500’ where we live)
5000’-probably 15 – 20 minutes additional
by Buck on March 19, 2010
I’ve been thinking about fish as spring approaches with particular attention to certain fish I avoid in the winter. I have known many commercial fishermen and am familiar with the difficult work they pursue in all kinds of weather. I don’t eat scallops often during the winter months simply because I know how tough the Atlantic can be in winter months. Scallops are something I can wait to enjoy in the Spring.
Here’s a scallop dish that is a great appetizer on a warm Spring day or as a luncheon dish served in the garden on a sunny Spring afternoon
The Seviche recipe we used for years was from Craig Claiborn’s NY Time’s Cook Book.
Moving to the West introduced us to some variety in the preparation that we especially enjoy
Scallop Seviche Mexican
Ingredients:
1 pound sea scallops chopped coarsely
Juice from 4 or 5 limes
2 tomatoes peeled, seeded, diced
1 cup finely chopped green onion
1 ripe avocado peeled and diced
¼ cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons green chiles seeded & minced(optional)
Preparation:
Place scallops in a glass bowl
Cover with lime juice
Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for two hours till scallops become opaque
Drain and mix scallops with tomatoes, onion and avocado
Season with salt and cilantro to taste
Service:
Line small plates with lettuce and top with scallop mixture
Note: This dish can be prepared using a firm white fish instead of the scallops
The glass bowl is something we have always used and I am not completely sure why. Something to do with the acid of the limes– it works well in the glass bowl so we continue to use it.
by Buck on March 17, 2010
March 17th is a day when almost everyone has a bit of the Irish in them. To celebrate the day many have Corn Beef and Cabbage which is rarely the case in our home. The corn beef is not any ones favorite so we stray a bit from the usual. It is often Shepard’s Pie but today it was an Irish Stew and and Irish Skillet Bread. We had a St. Patrick luncheon to check the recipes and try a few additional 
steps in case you have dinner plans for the Stew
I saved the bones from the lamb shoulder and browned them separately. When then dish was together and ready to simmer i added the browned shoulder bones for about an hour and then took them out for the last 1/2 hour of simmering stew. I believe it added a little more depth to the lamb taste in the stew.
The Irish Skillet Bread recipe was untampered with since it is perfect. We love it as an accompaniment to anything Irish(or almost anything at breakfast)
We are packing up the Irish Stew and taking some to the Grandkids to remind them that they have more than just a bit of the Irish about them.
Have a great St. Patrick’s Day and drive carefully or better yet take a taxi.
