Category:  Lamb Recipe

Before I get into this amazing lamb recipe, I want to thank all of you for the outpouring of support and condolences over the loss of my Grandma last week. Your kind words are heartwarming.

I have made this lamb recipe twice now and I fall more and more in love with it each time I make it. I have never eaten much lamb outside of Easter dinner. My mom always made a roasted leg of lamb served with the requisite mint jelly and I’d always put a little on my plate, but nothing about it ever made me crave it outside of the holiday. My Chief Culinary Consultant, however, has always been a huge lamb fan. He was sick this past Easter and didn’t get to enjoy any lamb, so I surprised him a couple of weeks later with this dinner to make up for his missed meal. I had searched for a quick and easy roast lamb recipe that didn’t feed an army and settled on this one, as the spice combination sounded outstanding. It was a huge hit, and it will probably become “the” lamb recipe in my cooking arsenal.

The lamb is crusted with a combination of garlic and crushed black peppercorns, fennel and cumin seeds, which makes for an unbelievable flavor and an even more amazing aroma. Most baking smells are pretty familiar to all of us – chocolate chip cookies, a vanilla cake, cinnamon and fall spices, chocolate, etc. This one, however, is one I wish I could bottle and create a scratch-and-sniff sticker for because it’s that incredible. The smell that wafts from the oven while this is roasting is positively intoxicating. And then once you take a bite? Swoon. That amazing crust houses lamb that is tender and melts in your mouth. Definitely a meal fit for a king.

I don’t post many meat recipes because I don’t eat it all that often and it’s not typical that I make a meat-based dish that I find so out-of-this-world outstanding that I must share it with you here. This lamb recipe, however, is a huge exception. Not only is it quick and easy (hello, weeknight dinner), but it also has tons of complex flavors and tastes positively elegant (hello, dinner party or holiday). If a string of pearls could take on a culinary form, they would want to be this lamb dish.

The original recipe for this lamb included a homemade mint sauce, but I have always enjoyed mint jelly with my lamb, so I stuck with that. Both times I served it with smashed red potatoes and roasted baby carrots, both of which complement the lamb beautifully. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as I have!

One year ago: Russian Pound Cake
Two years ago: Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars
Three years ago: Homemade Pierogi
Four years ago: Outrageous Brownies

Cumin and Fennel-Crusted Roast Lamb

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: About 45 minutes

1½ lb. boneless lamb roast
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or put through a garlic press
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1. Remove lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before starting to bring it to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the salt, black peppercorns, fennel seeds and cumin seeds in a spice grinder (or use a mortar and pestle) to roughly grind.

3. Rub the outside of the lamb with the garlic. Sprinkle half of the rub over one side of the lamb in a thick layer. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until very hot. Add a splash of olive oil and place the lamb in the pan, seasoned side down. Sprinkle the remaining rub on the other side of the lamb. Saute until brown and seared, 5 to 6 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. Put the pan in the oven and roast until desired doneness (135 degrees F for medium). Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes (it should come up to 145 degrees F for medium while it rests).

4. Slice the lamb and serve with mint jelly.

(Recipe adapted from No Recipes)

Tags: Lamb, Main Dishes

Brown Eyed Baker

1) Strip leaves from stems of rosemary and thyme, then chop coarsely. Smash garlic cloves, then chop coarsely. Pulse herbs, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon oil in a food processor until smooth. Place lamb in a 13″ x 9″ glass baking dish; rub with garlic mixture; cover; refrigerate 1 hour. Remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before grilling. Cook couscous as directed on package; transfer to a bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoon oil, cherry tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Make raita: Heat oven to 375°F. Toss tomato slices with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and spread on a baking sheet; roast until tomatoes brown in spots, about 30 minutes. Grind cumin seeds to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or spice mill. Puree roasted tomato in a blender with cumin, yogurt, cucumber and sugar until smooth. Stir in mint. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until ready to eat. Heat grill to medium-high heat (about 375°F). Grill lamb, about 2 minutes per side for medium. Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes; cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Divide couscous and lamb among 4 plates. Serve with 1 tablespoon raita per plate.

General Ingredients

• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 teaspoon of plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound of lamb tenderloin
• 3/4 cup of Israeli couscous
• 1 cup of heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
• 1 medium vine-ripened tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, toasted 1 minute in a dry skillet
• 1/4 cup of fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup of seeded and roughly chopped cucumber
• 1/8 teaspoon of confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint

Degree of Difficulty: Medium

For raita:
1) Mix yogurt, mint, cilantro, and lime peel in small bowl. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Cover; chill until cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

For burgers and vegetables:
1) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Sauté until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in curry powder and stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Cool onion mixture to room temperature, at least 15 minutes.

2) Place lamb in large bowl. Add onion mixture, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon cracked pepper. Blend mixture gently; shape into six 1/2-inch-thick patties.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).

1) Combine zucchini, green onions, and chile in another large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper; toss to coat. Place vegetables and burgers on grill. Cook until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes. Turn vegetables and burgers over. Cook vegetables until tender, about 3 minutes. Cook burgers to desired doneness, about 4 minutes for medium-rare. Cut zucchini and green onions crosswise into 2-inch-long pieces. Cut chile into thin strips.

2) Place breads on plates; top with burgers and tomato slices. Mound vegetables on burgers; spoon dollop of raita over. Fold bread up around burgers and serve with remaining raita.

General Ingredients

Raita:

• 1 cup of plain whole-milk yogurt (preferably Greek-style)
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/4 teaspoons of finely grated lime peel
• Coarse kosher salt

Burgers and vegetables:

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
• 1 1/4 cups of chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons of minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons of Madras curry powder
• 1 3/4 pounds of ground lamb
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of cracked black pepper, divided
• 3 medium zucchini (about 12 ounces), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 6 green onions, trimmed
• 1 fresh poblano chile,* quartered, seeded
• 6 small naans (Indian flatbreads; about 6 inches long) or pita breads
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Degree of Difficulty: Medium

Description: Minced lamb patty shallow fried on pan & served with mint sauce.

1) Pass the mutton and lamb fat through a mincer  for about 3-4  times to make a fine paste.
2) Make  the  fine  paste  of  raw  papaya  and  add  into  the  mutton  mince .
3) Then  add  the  roasted  gram  flour  powder  , red  chilli  powder , salt , ginger & garlic  paste .
4) Mix  the  galavat  spice  into  the  above  mixture , make  a  well in  the  centre  and  place  a  live  coal  with  some  fat  and  clove  for  smoking  and  cover  immediately, this  will  impart  an  unique  smoky  flavor  to  the  meat .
5) In  a  sauce-pan  heat  some  vegetable  oil,  make  round  medalions  of  the  lamb  mixture of  about  60  gm  each  and  place  them  over  the  pan  , cook  on  both  side  till  well  done.

General Ingredient

• 800 g. of Lamb mince
• 100 g, of Papaya (Raw)
• 100 g. of Lamb fat
• 75 g. of Rstd. Gram flour
• 10 g. of Red Chili Pd.
• 10 g. of Salt
• 20 g. of Ginger Garlic Paste
• 100 g. of Vegetable Oil
• 100 g of Lemon
• 100 g. of Onion
• 10 g. of Green chili
• 1 Egg
• 100 g. of Mint Sauce
• 10 g. of Garam Masla

Accompaniments: Mint Sauce
Garnishes: Presentation
Portions: 04
Colour: Brown
Flavour: Lamb
Taste: Soft &
Cooking method: Frying

Serving Suggestions: Serve hot with onions roundles, lemon wedges & mint sauce

Degree of Difficulty:: Medium