Lamb Back in Fashion

May is when fluffy white clouds float across clear blue skies. It is when the sun shines through small leaves, and the soft earth becomes carpeted with apple blossoms. May is when birds and butterflies return from their long travels south. It is when the sun is warm, and breezes are rich and sweet.

Here on the North Olympic Peninsula, spring is in full swing in the month of May. The vegetable gardens have come to life, splashes of lavender lilacs brighten yards, and young, tender “spring lamb” appears in our markets. Lamb and spring have a special affinity—they go together out of tradition, from the times when young lamb came only in the spring.

Early settlers in our country ate plenty of lamb and mutton, but during the early 1900s, cattle ranchers with their burgeoning herds lobbied to keep cattle in and sheep out. Big cattle became symbolic of the West, and beef became America’s favorite red meat for many years. Lamb was simply “out” – out of fashion and, for the majority of American cooks, out of mind.

Then came the “food revolution” of the 1970s and that changed perceptions about lamb. Cuisines that favor this meat—Greek, Middle Eastern, Italian, Indian, Spanish, French— became popular and brought “foreign” seasoning, and some of lamb’s best partners— garlic, ginger, fresh herbs, mustard, pepper, cumin, chilies and citrus—into our kitchens.

Roast lamb cooked pinkish rare, the way the French and a growing number of Americans like it, makes a wonderfully juicy and satisfying meat for all lovers of roast red meat. Few people can resist a juicy slice of leg of lamb roasted with garlic and thyme and served with a bit of mint jelly.

To purchase the best quality lamb, look for lightly marbled, reddish-pink meat. Lack of heavy marbling (flecks of fat within the lean meat) indicates young, milk-flavored lamb.

In cooking lamb, timing is critical. It must not be overcooked or undercooked. Here’s a roasting method borrowed from the hills of southern France, where herbs grow wild and the meat is seasoned from inside as well as out, ensuring a flavorful, tender roast.

LEG OF LAMB PROVENCAL
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 6-7-pound leg of lamb
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons “Herbs de Provence”

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine garlic and oil and spread the mixture evenly over the meat. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, then with Herbs de Provence. Place the roast fatty-side-up on a rack in a roasting pan and roast 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Use a meat thermometer to determine desired doneness; 140 degrees for rare, 150 degrees for medium.

HERBS DE PROVENCE
1/4 cup whole, dried oregano
1/4 cup whole, dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
2 tablespoons whole, dried fennel seed
2 tablespoons whole, dried rosemary

Combine all herbs and store in an airtight jar. Covered in a dark, dry place, it will keep for several months.

The most elegant cut is “rack of lamb”—each guest to be served 2 or 3 delicate chops. For more casual fare, lamb burgers are delicious. Lamb shanks are another favorite and make a wonderful one-pot meal.

LAMB SHANKS
WITH CURRIED RICE
4 lamb shanks
2 tablespoons salad oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 envelope dried onion soup mix
2/3 cup condensed beef consommé or red wine
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/2 cup Major Grey chutney, chopped
About 2 cups cooked, curried rice, prepared according to your favorite recipe or with a mix.

In a heavy pot with a cover, brown lamb shanks in oil. Add salt, pepper, onion soup mix, consommé, and Worcestershire. Cook over low heat about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until lamb is tender. Cool, refrigerate, and skim off fat. Add chutney. Heat just until simmering. Serve over the curried rice. Yields four servings.

BROILED GINGERY LAMB CHOPS WITH MUSHROOMS
1 1/2-inch piece ginger root, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
salt and black pepper to taste
4 lamb chops
1/2 pound small to medium mushrooms

Preheat broiler and cover broiler pan with foil. Combine ginger, garlic, oil, teriyaki sauce, salt and pepper in shallow dish; place lamb chops in dish and coat with mixture. Broil chops 7 minutes.

Remove stems from the mushrooms. Add mushroom caps to ginger mixture. Turn lamb chops and brush with the remaining mixture. Place mushrooms around chops and broil additional 5-7 minutes. Serve with cooked rice. Yields four servings.

BARBECUED LAMB WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE
1/2 cup blackberry jam
1/3 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh or
1 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
1 1/2 pounds boned and fat-trimmed leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
salt to taste

In a bowl, mix jam, vinegar, mustard, and rosemary. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into a small container; cover and chill up to a day. Add lamb cubes to the bowl with the remaining jam mixture. Stir well, cover, and chill at least 1 hour or up to a day.

Thread lamb equally on 4-6 metal skewers; discard marinade. Lay lamb on a lightly oiled grill 4-6 inches above medium-hot coals. Cook, turning and basting with reserved jam mixture, until lamb is medium-rare (pink in center; cut to test), about 8 minutes total. Push from skewers onto four plates.

Lamb is a whole new meat to many, so don’t be sheepish about trying it. Take advantage of the season and cook some lamb—you’ll enjoy some of the most luscious meat you have ever tasted.

HINT OF THE MONTH:
Transfer lamb roast to a hot serving platter, then let it stand at the open door of the turned-off oven for 15-20 minutes before carving..

Marian Platt’s regional narrative cookbook of Washington’s Sequim Valley, From My Kitchen Window, can be ordered by sending cash, check or money order for $25 (includes tax and handling/mailing costs) to Marian Platt, 434 Chicken Coop Rd., Sequim, WA 98382. Phone (360) 683-4691.