Ragu of Braised Lamb

This past Friday I drank & supped with some old and new friends and discovered a new eatery that's operated in Toronto for years.

I supped at none other than Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant. Upon pulling up in front of what used to be a bank, you wonder if you're at the right address but as soon as you enter the premise, catch the buzz of the crowd, the positive vibe of the staff and ultimately taste the food. You'll realize why this joint has been satisfying Torontonians with Italian food for years.

If you're in Toronto and you feel like Italian, a fun crowd and at affordable prices, go to Geo's! I started off with the Frito Misto and finished off with a grilled whole Branzino (Lavraki) stuffed with tarragon and lemon. I also ordered a side of rapini but the dish that stood out in my mind enough to replicate it the next day was the Lamb Ragu.

Geo's served me an aromatic, slow-braised lamb that was served on a bed of homemade Pappardelle pasta. It was a small "secondi" so every twirl of pasta in my fork was savoured. The dish left me wanting more and based on my taste memory and a quick scan of the internet, I was able to successfully recreate a wonderful dish that will make a lover of lamb out of anyone....sheepish (pun intended)!

Jamie Oliver has a game ragu recipe which makes for a good starting point but if you want something more concrete, take a look at Claudia's ragu at Cook Eat Fret.

Both Jamie and Claudia reinforced my taste memory of Gio's ragu and convinced myself that I would go in the right direction with my own take.

Ragu is Italian for meat sauce (not that awful jarred tomato sauce) and although the sauce comes together after a couple of hours, it's quite easy, ideal for that lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon where you can turn up some tunes, open some wine and gracefully cook, drink and entertain at the same time.

On this occasion I also had the opportunity to once again put my new pasta machine to use and make some homemade Pappardelle (thicker than fettucine). There are tons of "how to" references on making homemade pasta so I'll only emphazise that the general rule is about 1 cup flour plus 1 egg for each pasta serving. Most recipes include olive oil, salt and some water in the mix.

Pasta dough is very forgiving and once you know you're way around your pasta machine, you'll be cranking out enough pasta to guraantee you a spot in carbohydrate heaven!



Ragu of Braised Lamb
(serves 6)
1 1/2 lbs. of lamb shoulder (bone in)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 carrots, fine dice
2 stalks of celery, fine dice
1 tsp. dry rosemary
1 bunch of thyme
3 bay leaves
4-5 allspice berries
2 cups of good tomato puree (passata)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 sun-dried tomatoes, minced
1 1/2 cups of red wine
1 cup of beef, veal or lamb stock
1/2 cup cream grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
homemade Pappardelle (or pasta of your choice)

1. Trim your lamb meat of excess fat but still leave some on. Season with salt & pepper and pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown your lamb meat in batches and set aside and reserve.
2. Now lower your heat to medium and add your onions, carrots, celery, parsely and garlic and saute for about 1o minutes or until softened. Make a bouquet garni by rolling your bay leaves, thyme springs, rosemary and allspice berries in a tied cheesecloth ( I forgot to but YOU should) and add into the skillet.
3. Add your tomato paste and sundried tomatoes and stir in and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add your wine and simmer for another five minutes. Add your tomato puree (passata), pieces of lamb and stock and bring to a boil. Add some salt and pepper to taste and cover. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about an hour. Remove the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes.
4. You lamb meat should fall off the bone and be fork-tender. Remove the meat from the sauce and continue to simmer the sauce until you've achieved your desired consistency (I chose thick, for another 30 minutes.
5. Get a large pot of water boiling and get your pasta cooking. Separate the lamb meat from the bones and tear the meat into bite-sized pieces. When the sauce has thickened to your liking, the meat, cream and some grated cheese. Remove the bouquet garni and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Add a good amount of salt to your water and boil dry pasta according to package's instructions or about 3-4 minutes for fresh pasta. Strain pasta and divide among the 6 bowls. Serve a heaping ladle of lamb ragu over the pasta and grate some Romano or Parmesan and a few turns of fresh ground pepper.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Soutzoukakia Smyrneika With Olives

Homebase for me when in Greece is the fishing and tourist town of Nea Kallikratia in Halkidiki. It's situated about 30 minutes south of Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki.

It's home away from home and I'm welcomed by family and friends. The people who have summer homes here are mostly from Thessaloniki and the rest are tourists and Greeks from the Diaspora who have bought summer homes (like our family).

Thessaloniki has "dopia" Greeks from Macedonia (my family), Pontions, Vlachs and Greeks who fled Asia Minor from Constantinople (Istanbul) and Smyrni (now Izmir).

If one ever gets into the middle of a Greek chat on food, references to the rich cooking legacy brought back from Constantinople and Smyrni arise almost every time.

"This lady from Constantinople works magic in the kitchen" or "that lady from Smyrni turns the simplest foods into gold". Ya get my drift?

Our family is lucky to have "Effie from Smyrni" amongst our close family friends. My mom swims out to sea with her gal pals and the ladies will discuss the days issues...kids, grandchildren, Greece's rising costs, the weather and...food. These ladies wade in the warm blue waters and discuss recipes, exchange ideas.

I often do the same with my walks along the beach. I get restless just sitting on my beach chair but do still want a tan and I do enjoy socializing.

I do my walkabout, pace the beach, greet family & friends, ask what's going for the evening, extend or accept invites for "kafe" and I ask the ladies "what's cookin'"?

Effie from Smyrni brings leftovers to the beach and feeds her grandchildren (sometimes me). On one such day she brought Soutzoukakia Smyrneika With Olives.

This is a departure on the classic Soutzoukakia Smyrneika which are a sausage-like meatball simmered in an aromatic sauce - a favourite for many Greeks.

This version is slightly different but surprisingly refreshing and wonderful in taste and aroma. When the meatballs were simmering in the sauce, I was thinking, "this dish screams Greece meets East"!

The olives used here are green olives from Halkidiki and they provide the unique flavour and aroma to this dish.

When making the meatball mixture, avoid the temptation to overseason the meat. The flavour will balance out when the olives simmer in the aromatic sauce.

I loved this dish for it's simplicity, the aroma made me wait in anticipation and the flavours of the meal rewarded my patience when I finally plated the meal.

Soutzoukakia Smyrneika With Olives
(serves 6)

1lb. lean ground beef
1/lb. lean ground lamb
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. cumin
4 Tbsp. red wine
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Sauce
2 large, ripe tomatoes, passed through a grater
1 large onion passed through a grater
1 tsp. tomato paste, diluted in 1 cup of water
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup of green olives
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients of the meatballs and knead with your hands until mixed. Fry off a small meatball and taste-test. Adjust seasoning accordingly.
2. Shape the meat mixture into sausage shaped meatballs and reserve on a plate.
3. Place a large skillet on medium heat and add your olive oil and grated onion and simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Now add your tomatoes and tomato paste mixture and bring to a bowl. reduce to a simmer and cook down for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
4. Now gently lay the meatballs into the simmering sauce along with the olives and simmer slightly covered for another 10 minutes. If the sauce is too runny, carefully remove the meatballs and simmer the sauce until you've achieved the desired thickness. Place the meatballs back in the sauce to heat through.
5. Serve hot with rice pilaf or fried potatoes.

Herbed Sea Salt

First off, I want to thank everyone who responded and replied to my Blogging Rant (see two posts down in my blog) and also for joining the chorus of pissed off bloggers on the topic of ATK.

If you haven't heard what went on, then you were perhaps on a space shuttle mission or you live in a hippie commune, cut off from the rest of the world.

I recently caught an episode of Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill and I was pleasantly surprised to see him blend sea salt and herbs to dress some lamb chops.

Although I've seen sea salt and dried oregano used as a finishing seasoning in Greece for many grilled meats, Bobby's approach is to put the mixture on the meat just before grilling. Simple, but brilliant.

I've tried this "method", if you will on three instances...once with a grilled fish, another time with chicken on the barbecue and most recently grilling lamb chops.

Each time I was left with a deeply flavourful dish that's been simply seasoned with sea salt and your choice of fresh herb(s).

All one has to do is add some coarse sea salt and the herb of your choice in to a food processor and then pulse the mixture until it's well blended.

The other day I tried Bobby Flay's flavouring of sea salt with fresh rosemary and I simply brushed some olive oil on the lamb chops, sprinkle the rosemary salt on the meat and grilled the chops for 2 minutes a side for a nice, pink finish to my meat.

People, this is my summer grilling method of the year. Take your sea salt, food processor and pulse away with your favourite herbs. You'll find the herbs really flavour whatever you're grilling and this another one of those instances where you smack yourself on your forehead (okay, I did it twice) and say DUH!!!

Lamb and Artichokes Avgolemeno

More cool and rainy days upon us but this weekend's supposed to be sweltering hot. For those familiar with hot weather on the east coast, we're expecting hot & humid weather for the weekend.

This cooler weather is allowing me to squeeze in some Greek comfort dishes before I'm in "full-on" grilling weather.

It is still Spring which means lamb is season along with lemons and artichokes. Following me so far?

It's wonderful to be able to have affordable lamb in the Spring and celebrate each & every time it's on the table. What you have here is a dish that would be served to you in a Greek home or at one of the many "open-kitchen" style eateries that are still quite popular in Greece.

Lamb and Artichokes Avgolemono
(for 6)

1 shoulder of lamb (approx 1 kg.)
12 small artichokes, peeled and cleaned
1/2 cup olive oil
6 scallions, finely chopped
3 medium onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh dill
2-3 cups of water
salt & pepper to taste

Avgolemono
2 eggs
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp. flour
splash of water

1. Clean/trim your artichokes and place in a water bath that's heavily spiced with lemon juice and reserve.
2. In a large pot, add your olive oil over medium-high heat and then add your onions, scallions and garlic(add toward the end) and simmer on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes to soften and almost all the liquid is gone. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sauteed vegetables and reserve on a plate.
3. Using the same pot, add your lamb shoulder (some more oil if necessary) and brown over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes or until a nice colour has formed. Add back your sauteed onions and scallions and season with salt and pepper and add enough water (2-3 cups) to cover.
   
4. Place the cover on the pot and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the meat is fork tender and becomes easy to remove from the bone.
5. Add your artichokes and chopped fresh dill and simmer for another 20-30 minutes (or until the artichokes are tender). Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and take off the heat. Remove the bone and separate the meat into pieces.
   
6. Meanwhile in a bowl, prepare your Avgolemono Sauce by beating your eggs and flour and while still beating, add your lemon juice plus a splash of cold water.
7. Take a ladle of stock from the the pot and whisk into the Avgolemono mixture. Continue whisking and add another ladle of stock.
8. Add your Avgolemono back into your pot and shake the pot gently to allow the Avgolemono to set with the rest of the stew.
   

Lamb Giouvetsi

One of the most rustic and beloved Greek dishes has to be Giouvetsi. Traditionally, this meal is baked in clay pots.

There are many variations on this dish from the type of meat used to the spices included in the ingredient mix.

Here, I'm using lamb shoulder that's been rendered down to a fall-off the bone state and some delicious lamb stock became a wonderful by-product.

To get the tender lamb meat and stock, I once again employed the use of my trusty pressure cooker. Those who are regular readers of my blog will know that I find the pressure cooker to be a valuable kitchen tool and a time saver. Rather than boil down bones or meat over a stove top for hours, the pressure cooker will do the same job in about 45 minutes.

If you still don't have a pressure cooker, I highly recommend you get one. They are a good investment, should last a lifetime and again, a time saver.

This dish can still be prepared without the use of a pressure cooker. Start the dish off by browning some pieces of stewing lamb meat and then pick up and continue with my recipe.

The classic pasta of choice for Greeks is "Kritharaki", or orzo. Last week, I was pleased to see that some large-chain supermarkets are expanding the array of international products that are located in the "ethnic food" aisles of the market. It's about time ethnic food reaches beyond Asian and Mexican ingredients.

If you can't find Greek Kritharaki, orzo will do just fine.

Lamb Giouvetsi
(for 4)

1 1/2 -2 lbs of lamb meat, coarse pieces (stewed or browned-off)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 bell pepper (red or green), diced
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 cups of Kritharaki (orzo)
1/4 cup strained tomato puree (Passata)
6 cups of lamb (or stock or your choice)
salt and pepper to taste
grated Kefalotyri Cheese

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. In a skillet, over medium heat, add your onions and peppers and saute for 5-7 minutes or until softened.
2. Add the Kritharaki and stir for a few minutes to toast the kernels.
3. Add the hot stock and tomato puree and bring to a boil while stirring. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
4. Transfer to an oven-proof baking vessel and add the meat and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until most of the juices have been absorbed and the top is golden brown.
5. Serve hot with some fresh ground pepper and grated Kefalotyri cheese.
   

Tangy Maple Mustard Rack of Lamb

This recipe is about ten years old. My ex and I would have these wonderful days of shopping, cooking, eating with each other. When picking up wine, we'd often also collect recipe cards that were produced by local Ontario wineries.

To this date, I cannot find the recipe card but I've made this dish enough times to remember the ingredients and with some playing around with the measurements, I've got it down.

Before anyone excuses me of snapping up a recipe as my own...let it be said that I only recall that this recipe was in a booklet of dishes presented by the winery Jackson-Triggs. If anyone recognizes the recipe and remembers the chef who created this dish, please let me know so that I can give due credit.

There are many who are "iffy" on lamb. This is the dish that will convert the lamb-hater. Worried about lamb's gamey flavour? Not here.

Looking for a lamb recipe that's moist and succulent? This is the one.

Want to impress someone on a date or dinner guests with minimal effort? Try this recipe.

Preparation need only be done one hour ahead of time. I like to serve couscous and some type of seasonal green with the lamb. As you can see in the photo, fiddleheads were the chosen green.

Without further adieu, here's the marinade for these succulent lamb chops...guaranteed to be fingah-lickin' good!

Tangy Maple Mustard Rack of Lamb
(for 4)

2 racks of lamb loin
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of Maple syrup
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. sea salt

Pre-heated oven, set to broil

1. Rinse and pat-dry your racks of lamb. Turn the racks to their underside and using a knife, scrape some of the silver skin to loosen enough of it to be held by your fingers. Tear if off the racks and discard it.
2. In a bowl, add all the ingredients together, mix with a spoon and spread the marinade all over your racks of lamb. Marinate at room temperature for an hour.
3. Pre-heat your broiler and place your oven rack to the position closest to the broiler. Reserve any excess marinade and place in a small sauce pan and gently heat up and reserve. Season your lamb racks with some coarse salt and fresh ground pepper.
   
4. Set your racks of lamb face up (bone side down) on the tray and place under the broiler for 5 minutes a side for medium-rare. Brush reserved warm marinade over the top of the racks of lamb.
   
5. Allow your racks of lamb to rest for 5 minutes before carving.
6. Serve with fluffed couscous and some seasonal vegetables.
   

Kokoretsi (Κοκορέτσι)

Another usual suspect that's present at the Greek Easter table is Kokoretsi. It's a rotisserie dish made up of the organ meat from the lamb and bound by the intestines and on occasion, caul fat.

One of the reasons why I love Greek Easter is that our cuisine shines it all it's food dynamism. Greek Easter is a full-day affair...the lamb on the spit takes all day and as we all wait for it to be enjoyed, we nibble on an array of dips, dance on the fuel of Ouzo, wine and Greek spirit and sample the grilled array of meats throughout the day.

One such meat is Kokoretsi. For those that read my blog often, you'll recall that liver and I don't groove that well. As recently as a month ago, I once again tempted the memory of my taste buds with a taste of lover & onions...BLECH! But, "why does Peter like Kokoretsi" when it's full of organ meat?

For those that, like me...don't do liver or organ meat...I have a tough sales pitch but you have to believe me on this, call it the X-Factor - Kokoretsi tastes great!

Kokoretsi

2 lamb's hearts
2 lamb's spleens
1 lamb lung
intestines of 2 lambs
lamb's testicles (optional)
1 lb. of sweet breads
caul fat (optional)

Marinade
1 small Onion, grated
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Bay leaves or 1 Tbsp. of ground bay
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

1. It's important to wash, rinse and clean the intestines as soon as possible after purchasing. Invert the intestines and soak in a bowl with water and lemon juice for a couple of hours. Repeat 2-3 times more.
   
2. Rinse sweetbreads, place in a pan and cover with water. Add juice of 1/2 lemon. Bring to the boil, then drain.
   
3. Rinse the remaining organ meat and cut all the pieces into equal-sized pieces. Reserve.
4. In a large bowl, add the marinade ingredients and taste-test and recify seasoning.
   
5. Add the prepared meats to the marinade and mix to incorporate. Cover and leave in refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours. Put the intestines and caul fat in cold water and leave to soak during this time.
   
6. Drain the marinade and pat dry your meats. Season with salt and pepper and thread meats alternately on your spit/skewer.
   
7. Drain the intestines and wind them up and down and around your skewered meats and then wrap the caul fat to cover the entirety of the Kokoretsi.
8. Secure the Kokoretsi by wrapping butcher's twine around the skewered meats. Give a final touch of salt and pepper and prepare your rotisserie or BBQ pit.
9. Grill slowly over medium-hot coals and, if using a rotisserie with a BBQ, place a pan with water to prevent burning or fat flare-ups. Slow roast on your rotisserie for approx. 2 hours or until the outside is crisp and brown and firm to the touch.
10. Carefully slide the meat off the rotisserie and slice into 1 inch pieces. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice, sprinkle some dried oregano and serve as an appetizer/meze.
    

Lamb on the Spit (αρνί στη σούβλα)

Χριστός Ανέστη (Christ Has Risen)!

It's the day after Easter and it's also the Feast of St. George so my best wishes and "Hronia Polla" go out to all the George's out there.

I have to admit I'm quite today. Yesterday was a huge success. Toronto basked in a glorious and sunny 20C with little wind. Greek Easter is meant to be enjoyed outdoors with song, dance, food and drink.

I tried my best to photograph food and moments of the day but I did get caught up in the food preparation, good conversations and more wine that I perhaps should have not had.

The "main event" of Greek Easter is the lamb. Our family has been enjoying lamb on the spit for 15 years after enjoying the whole experience at a friend of the family. I was hooked ion the whole experience immediately and I set out to purchase our own "pit" for lamb on the spit.

A friend of our family sold these rotisseries that were special for lamb and Greek Easter. Below you will read how my family enjoys Greek Easter and lamb on the spit.

Lamb on the Spit (αρνί στη σούβλα)

1 whole lamb (20-25lbs)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
dried Greek oregano
vegetable oil
olive oil
fresh lemon juice
5-7 bags (18kg) charcoal briquettes butcher's twine
1 long upholstery needle

1. Ensure the spit (or rod) is cleaned, free of any rust, scoured with steel wool and rinsed of any cleaning agents. Wipe the spit with lemon juice and then treat with vegetable oil.
2. Either hang or lay your lamb and throughly rinse the the inside and outside of the lamb with water. Allow the water drain away and pat-dry the lamb (this step aids in getting rid of much of the gameyness people associate with lamb).
3. Place the spit through the lamb (rear to head) and if the head is still on your lamb, pierce the skull to help secure the spit.
4. Break the hind legs by the bending them backwards and to allow you to tie them easier to the spit. Secure the hind legs very tightly with your butcher's twine. Repeat this step with the front legs and also securely bind the neck to the spit.
5. Using your butcher's twine and the upholstelry needle, make a stitch across the length of the lamb's spine, looping around the spit. It's important that the stitch enters the meat near the spine, loops around the spit and then the needle comes back out of the body near the spine again. Loop the twine through your stitch and continue securing the spine to the spit until you've reached the shoulder.
   
6. Rub the inside of the lamb with some vegetable oil and sprinkle some sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano. Rub the the spices around with your hands for even distribution.
7. Using the butcher's twine and needle, stitch and close the opening to cavity.
8. Rub the exterior of your lamb with vegetable oil (olive oil tends to burn) and season your lamb well with sea salt and black pepper.
9. Get your fire pit started with some kindling wood and newspaper. When some burning embers are present, Add two bags of charcoal into the pit and allow about 30 minutes for the charcoals to get white hot.
10. Separate your hot coals into two piles: one underneath the shoulder end, the other pile under the hind leg side. The mid-section of the lamb cooks the fastest and there's enough residual heat from both piles to cook the mid-section evenly with the rest of the lamb.
11. Every hour, replenish your pit with another bag of charcoal with 2 piles at each far end of your pit. When your older charcoal starts losing heat, just push the newer charcoals over to your two main charcoal areas.
12. Your lamb should take 5-6 hours to be cooked through and during the last hour, mix a basting marinade of 1 part lemon juice, 3 parts olive oil with some salt and dried oregano to taste and baste frequently for the last hour.
13. Your lamb will show signs of being "done" when the carcass starts to crack as it revolves around on the rotisserie.
14. Transfer the lamb to a large baking tray, cut away all butcher's twine and carve it into pieces for your dinner guests.
15. To make your job easier next year, wash and clean the rod and any other grilling utensils so that the cleaning for next's year Easter becomes less of a task.
    

Silence of the Lamb

It's Saturday afternoon and I've just thoroughly washed my Ontario, milk-fed spring lamb. Watch me turn this sacrificial lamb into He-Man, outdoor, open-pit, BBQ greatness.

Lamb Fricasee With Avgolemeno

Lamb is much enjoyed by Greeks. I've always liked lamb and I'd eat more of it if weren't so fattening and cost-prohibitive (yes I prefer lamb chops).

Lamb Fricasee was not a dish I enjoyed as a kid but I had an epiphany one late night on the Danforth, Toronto's Greektown.

Back then I was the President of a Greek youth group and many evenings were spent at our associations' center caught up with meetings and events.

This lifestyle was not conducive to enjoying home cooking but hey, I could have souvlaki and gyros each night right? Wrong! You get sick of the same thing each night and my soul cried for a Greek dish that would make me feel at home again.

The Old Byzantion restaurant came to the rescue. It was a restaurant with tables just like any other but what made this restaurant unique was it's "open style" kitchen.

A patron walks into the eatery and then they are asked to come to back to see the day's offerings...daily specials made with market fresh ingredients. Each day a different array was showcased.

Old Byzantion was also made great because the chef was and older Greek fella named Mihali, the dude worked most of his life cooking on cruise ships...the man was The Champ!

Mihali recommended that evening, Lamb Fricasee. This recipe resembles the French original but here it's a stew.

This is a classic Greek dish made with lamb, Romaine lettuce, green onions, celery, and dill, which are stewed together. An Agvolemeno (egg-lemon sauce), is stirred in just before serving.

Lamb Fricasee With Avgolemeno
(feeds 4)

1kilo of lamb shoulder chops
3 heads of Romaine lettuce
(rinsed and hand-torn)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 bunches of scallions, chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
5 sprigs of fresh mint (2 Tbsp. dry)
salt and pepper to taste

Avgolemeno Sauce
2 large eggs
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp. flour

1. Place the lamb in a pressure cooker and cover with enough water to submerge the meat. Place the cover on your cooker, turn to high heat and when the seal has been made and you start to hear the whistle, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Take the pressure cooker off the heat and release the pressure by flipping the switch that releases the steam. Open the lid only when you no longer hear any steam escaping.
2. In a large pot, add your oil and on medium heat, saute your onions and scallions for 5-7 minutes to soften.
3. Add your lettuce in batches and cover with the lid and turn to high heat. As each batch of lettuce wilts, you will have room to add the next batch of lettuce to wilt (usually three batches). Boil down the lettuce until most of the liquid is gone.
4. Take some lamb stock from the pressure cooker and add enough stock into the pot to cover the lettuce.
5. Add your chopped dill and mint and stir in. Simmer for 30 minutes on medium with the lid slightly ajar. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
6. Add your pieces of lamb on top and allow to heat through for about 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile in a bowl, prepare your Avgolemeno Sauce by beating your eggs and flour and while still beating, add your lemon juice plus 1/8 cup of cold water.
8. Take a ladle of stock from the the Fricasee and whisk into the Avgolemeno mixture. Continue whisking and add another ladle of stock.
9. Remove the pot of Fricasee from the heat, add your Avgolemno Sauce to the Fricasee and gently shake the pot back and forth for the sauce to penetrate the entire stew. Check and adjust seasoning.
   
10. Serve each plate with the stewed lettuce and lamb and pour over some Avgolemeno Sauce and serve with crusty bread.

Keftedes With Ouzo

Some of you might recall my post about Greek Keftedes, which are Greek hamburgers or meatballs.

I was at the supermarket to buy a few things and I saw a package of ground lamb meat on sale. I've had lamb burgers from time to time and I found them to be juicy and a nice departure from the regular burger.

I also recalled seeing a recipe for keftedes which included Greece's national booze, Ouzo in it. Ouzo is an anise-flavoured spirit widely drank in Greece, known as Raki in Turkey and at one time it even once replaced the banned and hallucinogenic Absinthe.

These keftedes made for a nice meze (appetizer) and the herb combination was refreshing. I prefer grilling such meats but alas, winter is here.

If you're looking for a new twist on meatballs, give keftedes with ouzo a try. One way or another I'm going to sneak in some Ouzo on you!

Keftedes With Ouzo

1 kilo of lean ground lamb
4 slices bread (soaked in water, then squeezed to remove liquids)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Ouzo
2 medium sized onions, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh (1 Tbsp. dry) mint, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. dry oregano
flour for dusting meatballs
sunflower oil or corn oil for shallow frying
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, combine the ground lamb and the bread. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, mint, oregano, egg, ouzo, salt and pepper.
2. Test out a meatball for flavour by cooking it quickly in the microwave or fry one in a skillet. Adjust for seasoning. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours for the flavours to marry.
   
3. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients.
4. Roll into small balls (golf ball size), dust with flour and fry in plenty of hot oil. When browned all over, drain meatballs on paper towel to remove excess oil, then serve.
   

Greek-Style Roast Lamb With Potatoes

Us Greeks do enjoy our lamb. Although we don't have it on our weekly roster of meals, it's always revisited. Lamb is often spit-roasted for Easter, lamb chops get the grill treatment, tougher pieces get braised or turned into stews and as I'm showing you today, roasting the lamb.

I found a good deal on some lamb shoulder at the market and my intent was to roast it just like a bone-in leg of lamb. If lamb seems out of your budget, try lamb shoulders. I bought mine for $11.00 and it fed 4 people generously.

Roasting lamb for myself (and as experienced by others) can end in varying, underwhelmed results. Sometimes it's overcooked and dry, other times it's too rare or to much fat and even some gaminess in the flavour.

I think I finally got the method right. The herbs I used are pairings with lamb (rosemary, oregano and thyme) but the I roasted and prepped it a little differently this time. The result? A lovely browned lamb, juicy and succulent on the inside and crisp roasted potatoes that absorbed the lamb juices. I achieved all this despite my having to roast the lamb to a medium-well doneness as the natives (Greeks) would have had my head!

If you want a rarer lamb, invest in a meat thermometer. I have one that has a wire attached so the display is outside of the oven and I even have an alarm to alert me just before my set doneness.

Greek-Style Roast Lamb With Potatoes

12 cloves of garlic
3 Tbsp. dried oregano
3 Tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
3 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
3/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups lemon juice
1 cup white wine
salt and ground pepper
1 8-lb leg or shoulder of lamb
6 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into quarters lengthwise

1. Finely chop the garlic, herbs and add olive oil, wine lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper (to taste) in to a container and mix well.
   
2. Place the lamb in a dish or large bag and pour half of the marinade over the lamb (reserve the other half for the next day's step). Coat the lamb well with the marinade and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day, bring your lamb and marinade to room temperature an hour before cooking.
4. Pierce the lamb with a knife all over the meat and rub the remaining marinade all over the meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. At this point you also want to prepare your potatoes. Toss in olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon juice, coat with salt and pepper and set aside.
   
5. Into a preheated oven of 425F, roast your lamb with the lid on for 30 minutes with the potatoes around the lamb. After, reduce your heat to 375F and roast for another45 minutes to an hour (the last half hour, take the lid off to give the lamb it's nice colour).
6. Serve with seasonal vegetables, some good Greek red wine and enjoy.
   

Rotisserie Leg of Lamb

We wuz cheated. This past spring, the Greek-Orthodox Easter came early and it was celebrated on April 8th. In Canada, that's quite early and it meant two things....do the whole lamb on a spit while enduring the bitter spring cold or stay indoors and roast a leg of lamb in oven. Logic prevailed and we went the indoor route.

However, somehow this Greek Easter/Spring right of passage of doing the lamb on the spit left many Greeks unfulfilled. I had been waiting for this moment and with my holidays to Greece fastly approaching, it was time for a lamb on a spit!

I used a boneless leg of lamb. You can buy a leg with the bone and trim and bone it yourself or (I recommend) ask the butcher to bone it for you.

How did it turn out? I think this is a case of a picture accurately relating the result...succulent, flaky lamb meat that melted in your mouth!

Rotisserie Leg of Lamb

1 leg of lamb, boned
1 onion, grated
olive oil
1 spring of fresh rosemary, 2 Tbsp of fresh thyme, 2 Tbsp of fresh oregano
4 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers + 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1. Bone your leg of lamb. Click here for diagram and instructions.
2. Stab some holes into and around the exterior of the leg. Insert the slivers of garlic into the holes.
3. Generously season your leg with coarse sea salt and black pepper. Secure your leg to the rotisserie and place on your grill. Place a tray under the rotisserie with water to catch drippings and moderate the heat.
4. Secure the leg onto your rotisserie. Your grill should have a reading of 300-325 F.
5. Roast on the rotisserie for 2 -2 1/2 hours for a medium doneness. Remove leg and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cutting. Cut into slices and squeeze some lemon juice and garnish with dry oregano.
   

Lamb Kleftiko

This dish has alot of folklore surrounding it. This recipe is an adaptation of a dish fixed in the mountains by guerillas (bandits) who needed to cook without being seen. They placed the meat on coals in a hole, covered it up, and let it cook for up to 24 hours. No trace of any stolen animal, and no smell of cooking meat to give them away.

In modern days, it's the name given to a dish where a packet of food is formed, be it foil, parchment paper or in this case, phyllo pastry. Although I've had this dish many times at Greek restaurants, I've never tried it at home until now.

Here in Toronto's Greektown or The Danforth, a popular eatery named Zinni's Mezes of Rhodes has had this dish on their menu since it's inception and it's still it's most ordered entree.

This recipe is adapted from a Christine Cushing Food Network Canada show and it's courtesy of Sue Zindros of Mezes. They used chicken on this program but I went hardcore Greek with the use of lamb.

Lamb Kleftiko

Spinach Filling

• 4 cup fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tsp kefalograviera cheese or 1 tsp parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill

Stir-Fried Filling

• 1/4 pepper
• 1/4 medium green pepper, sliced, thinly
• 1/4 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp margarine or 2 tbsp butter
• 8 sheets phyllo pastry
• 1 1/2 diced stewing lamb meat, seasoned & stir-fried
  
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 4 thin tomato, slices
• 4 tsp kefalograviera cheese, grated

Directions:

Spinach Filling

1. Sauté the spinach and onion in olive oil for 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Drain spinach and add the pepper, feta, kefalograviera (or Parmesan) and the dill.
3. Blend and set aside.

Stir-Fried Filling

1. Sauté all the ingredients up to but not including the pastry together until the liquid is reduced and mixture thickens.
2. Set aside.

Assembly

1. Divide your lamb meat into 4 equal portions
2. Place 1 tomato slice on top of 1 good spoonful of lamb meat.
3. Cut tomato slice to fit if it overhangs the lamb.
4. Place one heaping tablespoon of the stir-fry filling on top of the tomato.
5. Continue by placing one heaping tablespoon of spinach filling and end with one teaspoon of grated kefalograviera cheese.
6. Place another spoonful of lamb meat on top and the sandwich is ready to be wrapped with the phyllo pastry.
7. Take 2 sheets of phyllo and place the longest side parallel to your counter.
8. Butter the top sheet. Place the lamb sandwich in the middle to bottom end of the phyllo sheet.
9. Fold the sides over the lamb and butter the folds.
10. Starting with the end with the lamb, fold phyllo around lamb until you make a little package.
11. Repeat this process with the rest of the lamb and place the lamb kleftikos on an ungreased baking sheet.
12. Butter the tops of all four kleftikos and bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden.