Sunday 15 March 2015

Braised Lamb Shanks

March 15 – The Ides of March. My husband always likes me to prepare a special menu designed to pay playful homage to the great Julius Caesar.  But Paul also should have been wary of the Ides of March; he has fallen victim to a stomach virus and we have had to cancel this evening’s meal.

And what a shame that is.  The temperatures here have warmed up enough to thaw out the barbecue – which in itself is reason to celebrate – and I had planned to grill a couple of New York strip steaks and serve them with a garlicky and regal Caesar Salad.  And the beverage of the evening would have of course, been a Bloody Caesar; the quintessential Canadian cocktail! 

I suppose I could still cook that all up for myself, but I don’t think the enjoyment level would be the same. Although nothing says I can’t have a cocktail later when the sun crosses the yardarm – whatever that might mean. My mother always said that and with her British accent it always had the right level of hoity-toity to it that would alleviate any pangs of guilt for having a drink by oneself in the afternoon.

Alright then, an Ides of March dinner is off the table, so to speak, so now I will look to March 17th - St. Patrick’s Day; another day in March to celebrate food and drink.  

St. Patrick’s day always makes me think fondly of my mother-in-law, whose birthday was celebrated on March 17th.  Her birthday was actually March 18th, but being born into an Irish-Catholic family at the beginning of the 20th century it appears the family wanted a St. Paddy’s day baby and for most of her life she believed that was her birthday.  It wasn't until she applied for her Canada Pension and had to request a copy of her birth certificate that she found out her true birth date. Evidently she was quite distressed by this until it was realized that the year of her birth had also been registered incorrectly and the government owed her a year’s pension.  Just goes to show that there is always a silver lining.

St. Patrick’s Day also reminds me of someone else in my life that furthered my love of cooking.  A very good friend from my husband’s youth owned a restaurant for a few years before his sad and much too early passing.  Tony loved to feed people and when you went to his restaurant there was something wrong with you if you went home hungry! 

Conversations between Tony and me always involved food and its preparation.  So many times he would drag me into the back of the restaurant’s kitchen and into the walk-in freezer and excitedly (he was Italian) show me the humongous prawns he had bought that day, or the trays of steaks that would be next week’s special.  On more than one occasion I would return to our table, much to other diner's curious looks, with a wrapped up frozen leg of lamb or prime rib of beef to take home with strict instructions from Tony that when I prepared it he was to be invited for dinner.  I think, no I know, Tony enjoyed having a meal prepared for him as much as he enjoyed preparing one for others. 

So it was one St Patrick’s Day that I cooked a beautiful roast leg of lamb, with mashed potatoes and minted peas for Tony and six more of our friends.  As usual, he brought the wine.  And what a wonderful memory that is; the nine of us crammed around our dining room table in our wee little dining room, everyone talking and laughing.  The men all reminiscing about their days in high school and we women rolling our eyes at the same stories and jokes we have all heard a million times.  Have you ever noticed how really good memories seem to be connected to really good food and friends?

There was another great St. Patrick’s Day dinner party that I fondly recall – this one was totally unplanned.  Well mostly unplanned.  We have another very good friend from my husband’s high school days that I love to cook for.  Michael is Irish and one year when his wife was out of town I insisted he join us for a proper St. Patrick’s Day dinner.  It was a weeknight so it was just going to be the three of us.  Well…. I decided I would cook lamb shanks braised in Guinness.  Never mind that I had never cooked or even eaten a lamb shank before, I was totally confident I knew what I was doing. 

Now Michael is a hearty eater, as are my husband and I so I bought nine lamb shanks.  I did not think that was too many; they were frozen and looked really small.  Did I mention Michael is Irish?  So lots of potatoes were peeled and readied for boiling.  By about three o’clock in the afternoon I started to realize I had way too much food for three people – hearty eaters or not we were not going to eat this amount of food.  In a bit of a panic I called my husband at work and told him my dilemma.  Not to worry he would find more people to join us for dinner. Somehow he managed to find three other friends who were available last minute on a weeknight to come into the city for a feast.  In fact now that I think of it, it was the same three friends from my earlier spaghetti and meatballs post.  Sometimes the impromptu parties are the best parties and this was indeed one of those – I can still hear the laughter and feel the love around that table.

Ever since then braised lamb shanks (sometimes in Guinness, sometimes in red wine) has become a fairly regular St. Patrick’s Day meal in our house.  Served with lots of creamy mashed potatoes and sweet green peas it is the perfect comfort food.  Add some good wine and even better friends it is a dinner party waiting to happen. 


Braised Lamb Shanks
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
6 – 8 Lamb shanks, fresh or frozen
1 Cup all-purpose flour mixed with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Onions chopped
4 Cups beef broth
3 Bottles of Stout or 1 Bottle Dry Red Wine
2 Large Bay leaves, 3 or 4 Sprigs of fresh parsley, 2 or 3 Sprigs fresh thyme tied together with kitchen string


Defrost lamb shanks if frozen. 
Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and dredge in seasoned flour.  Shake off excess flour and reserve.
In a large Dutch oven heat the oil and butter over high heat.  Brown the lamb shanks on all sides.  You may have to do this one or two at a time, placing them on a plate to keep warm while you brown all of them.  Put your range hood exhaust on as this will be smoky.
Reduce the heat to medium and add more oil if necessary and sauté onions until soft.
Add the reserved flour and cook for a few minutes until blended.
Add the broth and stout or wine and whisk until there are no flour lumps.
Place the lamb back into the Dutch oven along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate, add the herbs and bring to just boiling.

At this point you can do one of three things.
1.    Cover, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering for about 2 hours. 
2.    Place the covered pot into a pre-heated 275F oven and cook for 3 hours or more.
3.    Place everything into your slow cooker (if it’s big enough) cover and set to cook on low for 6 hours or so

I like it when the meat is falling off the bone so I usually opt for the longer cooking times. 

Check on the lamb from time to time and stir gently making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Regardless of which method you choose, near the end of cooking time remove the meat to a platter and keep in a warm oven.  Remove the herbs and pour the gravy into a bowl and place in the fridge or freezer for 20-30 minutes until the fat rises to the top and you can skim most of it off.

Meanwhile start cooking your potatoes.

Pour the gravy back into the pot, put the meat back in and gently reheat while you finish mashing potatoes and cooking your choice of vegetable. (I always serve sweet peas with lamb, often cooked with a couple of sprigs of mint)

Taste for seasoning and add more salt & pepper as needed.

Serve everything “family style” or plate up individual plates each with a big mound of mashed potatoes, a side of peas and a lamb shank, all covered with the gravy.  YUM!

Goes equally well with a glass of Shiraz, Malbec, or a bottle of Irish beer!  And don’t forget your friends or family – this is a meal to share!

Cheers

Chelly


Sunday 1 March 2015

Saturday Night Grilled Fish Supper for Two

I don't know about you, but I have had it with the winter of 2014-15!  It has apparently been the coldest February on record and I believe it.  And because of the cold all the snow we've had has stayed.  Yesterday was February 28th and I so wanted to barbecue something.  Last fall I had my nephews bring my shiny brand new gas barbecue up onto the deck so that I could get to it through the winter and do some grilling.  This photo taken from my back door shows why I haven't barbecued a thing all winter...

It's been like this pretty much since Christmas so until we get a spring thaw - which doesn't look to be in the near future - I won't be grilling any steaks soon.

Still, that urge to grill something - not just broil it, hit yesterday morning anyway.  I do have a small indoor grill that while it won't get hot enough to cook a steak properly, it will do a pretty good job on a piece of fish or chicken. 

Our local supermarket carries some beautiful fresh fish and this week they had Canadian Steelhead Trout on special. A nice fillet of that, some fresh asparagus and some mini red-skinned potatoes and we have a meal in the making.

THE RECIPE

Simple Grilled Fish Supper for Two

Ingredients

2 6oz Fish Fillets - I used Steelhead Trout, but Salmon, Rainbow Trout or Arctic Char would all work beautifully
1 Tspn Dried Dill Weed
1 Lemon 
1 Bunch Fresh Asparagus
1/2 Tbspn Sesame Seeds
16 Mini Red-skinned Potatoes
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Rinse potatoes and dry them.  Place in a small bowl and toss them in a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil making sure they are evenly coated; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Tip them into a small oven proof baking dish (I use a small heavy frying pan) and put them in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and shake the pan every now and then to make sure they cook evenly. If they seem to be cooking a little too fast, turn the heat back to 375F.

Meanwhile heat up your indoor grill to high heat. (If you don't have an electric grill by all means use a grill pan or a stove-top griddle)

Sprinkle fish fillets with salt & pepper and the dried dill weed and then give them a good squeeze of 1/2 lemon and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Clean the asparagus and then break off the tough ends. Using the same bowl as used for the potatoes, toss asparagus in no more than 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt & pepper and the sesame seeds.

By now your grill should be hot.  Turn heat back to med-high, place the fish flesh side down and arrange the asparagus on the grill around it.  

After a few minutes the fish should be seared enough that it will release from the grill and allow you to carefully turn it over.  


Continue cooking, moving the asparagus around to evenly cook and flipping the fish again if you want a darker look to the flesh until everything is cooked to your satisfaction. About 12 - 15 minutes; maybe more if your grill doesn't get terribly hot or if your fillets are quite thick.  You just have to watch it and when the fish begins to flake easily it's cooked.  The asparagus is cooked when it is lightly charred and softened.  Try not to over cook the asparagus as it is so much nicer with a bit of bite to it.

By now the potatoes should be cooked.  You'll know they are ready because the aroma of cooked potatoes will be wafting from your oven.

Plate everything up, garnish with the other half of the lemon and enjoy with a nice glass of chilled Pinot Grigio and someone you love.

I hope you enjoy this little promise of spring as much as my husband and I did. Maybe soon I will be able to re-create it on the barbecue...

Cheers

Chelly