Spring Chicken

This is probably the meat protein you most want to avoid in supermarkets not just because of the abominable way chickens are raised and how some are dipped in poison to kill their bacteria before being shipped. Also because some "organic" and "free range" certifications are fake news. All this scamming may be because chicken is the most consumed meat protein in the world. Knowing this, you can safely and happily indulge. Just trust your local farmer at the local farmers' market, pay the price for the real deal and make chicken a special occasion food. Here are a few fuss free ways the world does that:

Five Spice Whole Roasted Chicken

Five spice powder is Chinese, from the western provinces where food tends to be "tasty." The five spices are cinnamon, star anise (local), fennel seed, cloves and Szechuan peppercorns (another local product).
How many servings you get depends on the size of the chicken and the portions.  Here a 3 lb chicken will serve 3, maybe 4. (I was taught to measure 1 lb of meat with bones per person, but that can be a large portion.)

2 tsp five-spice powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp dried tarragon leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil (a little extra won't hurt)
1 whole 3 lb chicken (you can go larger, just up the spices accordingly)
Sea salt to taste
1 c chicken broth/stock

Mix all the spices and herbs with the olive oil to make a paste. Rub this inside and outside of the chicken, coating it as thoroughly as you can. Loosely wrap it and refrigerate overnight or a full 24 hours or in between.

Preheat oven to 400º. Bring chicken to room temperature and rub with salt. Put it in a pan with a rack that keeps it off the bottom and roast in the middle of the oven 45 min. Occasionally baste it with juices that accumulate on the bottom. Remove from oven and rest 15 minutes. Remove chicken to a platter and cut into desired portions.

Skim off the fat in the pan and stir in chicken stock. Cook this on top of the stove over high heat to reduce liquid and thicken it. Serve this as gravy for the chicken.

Persian Whole Roasted Chicken with Dried Fruits

not my photo so lemons not limes

This is a more glamorous way to go. The dried fruits keep the chicken very moist and succulent. Steamed basmati rice is the perfect accompaniment. A crunchy green salad unites everything into a vivid, healthy meal.
serves 8

2 fresh whole chickens, about 4 lbs each
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 lg garlic cloves, minced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 c pitted prunes, finely chopped
1/2 c dried apricots, finely chopped 
1/4 c dried currants steeped in hot water with a dash of rosewater 10 min then drained
1/2 c shelled pistachios
1" ginger root, grated
1 sm orange, zest only
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c fresh orange juice
1 lime, in wedges for serving

Preheat oven to 350º.
Rinse and dry chicken. Remove excess fat and giblets.

In a nonstick skillet, heat oil. Add onion and garlic and over med/low heat sauté until soft, 3-5 min.

Add the apple, prunes, apricots, currants, ginger root, pistachios and orange zest. Season with salt (carefully if the pistachios are already salted), freshly ground black pepper and the spices. Stir and sauté 1 min. Remove from heat. Cool.
 
Stuff the chickens with the dried fruit mixture and try to close the cavity with poultry pins or by twining the legs together. Rub the chicken with butter and sprinkle with salt. Lightly oil or butter a roasting pan and center the chicken in it. Pour over the orange juice. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake 75-80 min until chickens are very tender.
 
Uncover the pan, baste the chickens and then remove the syrupy juice from the pan as much as you can. If you have a freezer jar put it in there and put the jar in the freezer 10 minutes. This will cause the fat to rise so you can remove it easily and quickly. Meanwhile put the chicken back in the oven uncovered until the skin is browned, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let it rest 10 minutes before cutting. While it does, put the jellied juices in a small saucepan, heat into gravy. If it is too thick add a bit of water.
 
Serve the chicken portions garnished with lime wedges and pass the sauce in a gravy boat.

Indian Cardamom Spiced Stewed Chicken
This recipe uses only thighs and the stove top as well as the oven. Still it's relatively simple step by step. The ingredients list is long because this recipe is all about the spices. The coconut milk base gives the stew a summery, tropical touch. Serve with basmati rice and a cucumber/tomato salad for ultimate color.
serves 6
 
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground turmeric 
2 tbsp cardamom seeds (out of the pod)or 1 tbsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp salt 
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
12 chicken thighs
1/4 c corn, canola, mustard or other vegetable oil
2 onions, peeled and very thinly sliced in disks
2 cinnamon sticks
15 whole cloves
5 lg garlic cloves, smashed and minced 
3" fresh ginger root, peeled, grated or minced
1 Serrano chili pepper, seeded and minced
3 boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 c chicken broth
2 c coconut milk (canned)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 lg lime, juice only


Preheat oven to 350º. 
In a small sauté pan/skillet, over med heat, toast the cumin, coriander, chili powder and turmeric stirring and shaking the pan until they are toasted, 2-3 min. Cool and grind in a coffee grinder.
 
Grind the cardamom seeds if you are not using pre-ground. Combine cardamom with 1 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp ground black pepper. Spread this over the chicken thighs.
 
In a large skillet/sauté pan, over med/high, heat the oil. Add chicken skin down and sauté until skin is brown, 5-6 min. Flip with tongs and cook 2 min more. Remove from pan and put in a large ovenproof casserole. Put the onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and chili pepper in the pan. Sauté stirring until the onions are soft and transparent, 5-7 min. Pour this over the chicken in the casserole.
 
Add the potatoes, chicken broth and coconut milk to the casserole, stirring to blend. Bake 40-60 min, until the chicken thighs are totally cooked and soft. (Test to see if the juices run clear and not red) Remove the casserole from the oven, stir in the toasted spices, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Palestinian Za'atar Chicken with Tabbouleh

not my photo

This is roasted chicken quarters with a tabbouleh NOT made of bulghur but of pearl couscous, called maftoul, or the best substitute, fregola, the toasted Sardinian pasta more commonly sold in bags. They make a heartier tabbouleh that is more vegetable like. But essentially tabbouleh is a parsley salad, very green, which makes this a lovely spring chicken dish!

Serves 4

4 large chicken legs and thighs in one piece)

Olive oil
3 tbsp dried mint
5 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp dried red chili flakes
4 tbsp za’atar
1 tbsp flaky salt

For the tabbouleh
2 c maftoul (also known as pearl couscous) or fregola (Italian roasted pasta balls)
3 c water
4 tomatoes
1 bunch of scallions
Large bunch flat-leaf parsley

 2-3 lemons, juice only
1 tbsp salt
Olive oil

To serve (don't worry if you can no longer find pomegranates)
1 pomegranate, seeded
1 red chilli, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400º.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lay out the chicken pieces on it.

Combine the olive oil, mint, pomegranate molasses, chili flakes, za’atar and salt.  Season both sides of the chicken with this mix. End up skin side down and roast in the oven rabout 12 minutes.

 While the chicken cooks, prepare the maftoul or fregola by package instructions until it has just passed the al dente stage. Remove and rinse under cold water, drain and set aside.

While it cooks, chop tomatoes and spring onions into small, equal-size pieces. Finely chop the parsley.

Once the chicken has browned slightly, turn it over and cook skin side up another 10- 12 minutes until it’s thoroughly cooked. If you want to add more mint and za’aatar, do so at the flip.

In a large bowl, mix the maftoul/fregola with the chopped tomato, scallions and parsley. Add the lemon juice, salt and olive oil to taste. This salad should be sharp and tangy to contrast with the creaminess of the pasta, and there should be plenty of parsley mixed through – it is essentially a parsley salad. Transfer to a deep dish and set aside.

 When the chicken is cooked, place it on top of the tabbouleh and drizzle some of the cooking juices over. Serve sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and the sliced chili.

Nepalese Chicken Curry 

This easy cut up chicken dish captured the readers of ZEST magazine when published in a story about my Himalayan cooking exploits. It's THE go-to meal in Nepal. And why not: It's easy, tasty and festive. Typically it is served with mounds of basmati rice and several green vegetables. I may have posted it before.

Serves 6 regular portions or 8 small ones

4 large chicken quarters (4 pounds), skinned as much as you can and cut into 3” pieces (this is larger than bite-sized)

¼ c vegetable oil

1 dried Arbol or other thin red chili, whole

1 large red onion, peeled and diced

8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed into a paste with the ginger, or smashed and minced

2“ fresh ginger, peeled, smashed and minced into a paste with the garlic, or grated

2 tbsp ground cumin*

1 tbsp ground coriander*

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp salt

2 tomatoes, diced (do not substitute canned or boxed: too juicy)

1 small fresh green chili pepper (e.g. Serrano, jalapeño), minced

1/2 cup chicken stock or water

½ bunch fresh cilantro, leaves stripped from the stems and minced 

*Grinding the seeds definitely enhances the flavor

Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with the vegetable oil, get it hot on medium flame, then fry the dried pepper for a minute to flavor the oil. Add the onion, stirring to blend into the oil and sauté 3 minutes to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin. Stir and continue to sauté about a minute to brown this mixture.

Stir in the turmeric. Add the chicken pieces and blend. Add 3 tbsp of water or chicken stock and raise the heat to high. For 5 minutes, constantly stir the chicken so it doesn’t burn, scrapping up any brown scraps that stick to the bottom of the pan, to obtain full flavor.

Lower heat to medium. Add the tomatoes, minced green chili, salt, 2 tbsp of water or chicken stock. Cook 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom and burns.  Add 2 tbsp of water or chicken stock if the pan is drying out. Add a handful of chopped cilantro and blend. Cook 5 more minutes, adding water or stock a tbsp. at a time if the chicken doesn’t have enough sauce for your taste. Check salt and chili flavor and adjust to your taste, using ground chili powder.

Put the contents of the pot into a shallow serving bowl or high-sided platter. Garnish with the rest of the chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, your favorite chutney (which can be cranberry), and braised greens (e.g. mustard, collard, kale), steamed fresh peas with dill or garlic sautéed green beans.

Slow Cooked Chicken with Bucatini (spaghetti like pasta) and Garlic

If you can't find bucatini, use spaghetti. This dish is interesting in that you keep cooking the pasta long after you've boiled it to al dente. This recipe comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in London and the photo is his dish.

Serves four generously.

8 large chicken thighs, skin on and bone in (about 3 lbs)
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp hot paprika
1½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt

1 tbsp olive oil
15 garlic cloves, peeled
2 beef tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
¾ lb (12 oz) bucatini
½ c flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Put the chicken in a large bowl with the oil, paprika, allspice, turmeric and 1 tsp of salt. Toss to coat, then marinate 10 minutes.

Put a large, heavy and lidded casserole over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Place the chicken in it skin side down and fry 10 minutes turning regularly until it’s golden brown all over. Reduce heat to low. Add the whole garlic cloves, tomatoes, lemon juice and 2 tbsp water. Cover simmer 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

About 30 minutes after you started the chicken, fill a large pot with water, salt it very generously and over high heat bring to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and return to the pot.

Once the chicken is cooked transfer it and the garlic cloves to a plate. Pour the remaining contents of the casserole over the pasta and toss to combine. Arrange the chicken on the bottom of the casserole skin side down and lay the soft garlic in between. Pour all the pasta and cooking juices on top, cover the pot and simmer on low heat 45 minutes.

Transfer the pasta to a shallow serving bowl. Stir in the parsley. Arrange the chicken on top, skin side up (some of the skin may have stuck to the base of the pan, but don’t worry). Pour over the garlic and cooking juices, Serve at once. I suggest with a chopped fennel and red onion salad.

Springing forward while stuck in March

It's spring but there's still chill in the air and limits on what's available at farmers' markets. So here are a few transition recipes...more spring lamb...still spilling the beans...still greening up the table. And as always these are simple, tasty, glamorous and nutritious dishes--everything you want in a meal.

Lamb shanks with cardamom, saffron and orange

not my photo

An Algerian lamb I didn't include in the last post because there were so many offerings. The recipe asks for a lot of ingredients but many are spices and everything is simple and commonplace except the final outcome: mighty tasty--exotic too, colorful and nourishing. This could be party food or a special weekend family dinner.
serves 4

4 lamb shanks
1 tsp plus 1 tbsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/4 c olive oil
1 lb yellow onions, peeled and diced
5 peeled garlic cloves (bigger ones better)
2" fresh ginger root, peeled and grated (1 tbsp)
1 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of saffron
1tsp red pepper chili flakes
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 sm cinnamon stick
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 c blanched slivered almonds
1/2 c golden raisins (aka white raisins)
2 c (or 2 10 oz cans) diced tomatoes (Marzano or plum are best)
1 orange, zest and juice
1 lb carrots, peeled and diced
1 lg fennel bulb, peeled and diced
1 c white wine
3 c vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 350º. Season lamb with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over med heat. Add lamb and brown on all sides, which means turning occasionally, about 4 min per side. Don't have heat too high because the olive oil will smoke and burn. Remove lamb from the pot.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the hot pot. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are soft, 3-5 min. Add ginger, cardamom, saffron, chili flakes, cloves, caraway, fennel seed, cinnamon stick, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, almonds and raisins. Stir to blend and sauté 5 min over med/low heat. Add tomatoes, wine, broth, orange zest and juice. Stir to blend. Put the lamb back in this pot, put the pot in the oven and cook until lamb is falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Add carrots and fennel. Cover the pot and return to the oven to bake 15 min.

Serve one shank per plate with the vegetables and sauce over each one. Drizzle with best quality olive oil and serve.

White Bean and Roasted Garlic soup

More nutritious simplicity not quite as hearty as a fullblown winter soup. Garlic is a lung cleaner so this is perfect for changing seasons and roasting garlic makes it very mellow, so no breath worries. This is a very economical meal too.
serves 6

1 lb Great Northern or Navy beans (white beans)
2 heads garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
4 oz pancetta, chopped
1 lg yellow onion, diced
4 c (1 qt) veg broth
4 c (1 qt) water
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp dried sage
2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper to your taste
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley leaves
a bunch of fresh sage leaves for garnish

Soak beans overnight in a large pot of water.
Preheat oven to 400º. Remove the paper outer skin from the garlic. Cut 1/4" off the top. Put the heads in a small baking dish and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast at 400º until very tender, 30-35 min. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into a small dish and mash into a paste.

In a large heavy pot, cook the pancetta over medium heat until crispy and brown. With a slotted spatula or spoon, remove it to drain on paper towels. Get the drippings in the pot hot over med/high heat. Add the onion, half the dried sage, rosemary,  oregano, a grind of fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to med and sauté 5 min until soft and translucent. Add the garlic paste, stirring to blend. Add broth, water, bay leaf, remaining sage and drained beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer about 45 min until beans are very soft.   Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the chipotle chili powder and chopped parsley. Purée the soup to be smooth. Return it to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Warm it on simmer.

In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over med heat. Add the fresh sage leaves with the pancetta and cook just until the sage leaves get crispy--30-60 seconds. With tongs transfer them to paper towels to drain. Scoop out the pancetta with a slotted spatula.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the fried sage leaves and pancetta.

Cod and Kale Stew

before cod is steamed on top

This is a traditional Iberian recipe, simplicity rich in color and nutrients. Makes fish look and taste good! The taste here is about freshness; very little spice although if you like a bit of bite you can add a pinch of ground chili to the cod as it steams.
serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
1 lg yellow onion, diced
2 med carrots, peeled and chopped
2 med celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
2 bunches kale (4 c), stemmed and torn into pieces
4 med red boiling potatoes, cut into 1/2" chunks (scrub, don't peel)
1 28 oz can/box diced tomatoes
2 c water
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1 tsp ground smoked paprika
4 cod fillets (1 lb all together)
1/2 lemon, juice only

Heat olive oil in a medium lidded pot overn medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook until soft, about 10 min. Add garlic and cook 5 min more. Stir in kale, potatoes, tomatoes, smoked paprika and 1 1/2 c water. bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot and simmer 20 minutes to soften all vegetables.  Add the last 1/2 c of water if the pot looks dry.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place the cod fillets atop the stewed vegetables. Cover the pot and team them over low heat until just cooked through--7-10 min depending on your stove strength and the thickness of the fillets. With a wide spatula, transfer the cooked fillets to shallow soup bowls, one each, and spoon the vegetables over them to serve.

served with steamed cod

         

 Black Bean Pancakes
These are soft, fiber-filled, stick-to-the ribs pancakes you can eat any time of day. You can serve them with baked ham, or guacamole and salsa, or sour cream and maple syrup.
serves 4

2 1/2 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 heaping c (1 c + 2 tbsp) corn meal
3/4 c low fat plain yogurt
2 extra large eggs
salt to your taste
3 scallions with some of the green stem, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 fresh serrano pepper, seeded and minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2-3 tbsp corn or peanut oil or bacon fat for frying them.

In a large bowl or mixer bowl, combine corn meal, yogurt, eggs, salt, chili powder and cumin. Beat to blend. Fold in black beans, scallions, serrano pepper and cilantro leaves.  That's your batter!

Grease a griddle or large nonstick frying pan with 1 1/2 tsp oil or bacon fat. Heat to very hot. In large soup spoonfuls, drop the batter into the hot oil and press down to form it into a circle or oval pancake. Fry until bubbles appear in the top, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip with a spatula and continue to fry until the bottom is browning, 90 seconds-2 min. Remove from heat, drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 250º oven while you finish.

Arrange on a serving platter with your chosen accompaniment in the middle: guacamole or salsa, sour cream, or ham or even Canadian style bacon.

Coconut Curry Braised Kale

Lightening up the winter staple with tropical flavor that make us think: summer!
 serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
1 med onion, minced
5 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (about 1-1 1/2")
1 tsp curry powder
2 lbs kale, washed, dried, ribs removed
1 c veg broth
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/2 c roasted cashews, chopped

In a large heavy bottomed pot with a lid, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium. Add onion and sauté, stirring, until soft, 3-5 min. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder. Sauté 1 min to heat and blend. Add half the kale, stirring until it wilts. Add remaining kale, broth, coconut milk and salt. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until kale is tender. This can take 25-35 min depending on pot and stove.

Remove lid. Raise heat to med/high and cook, stirring every few minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. The kale might begin to sizzle, that's okay. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice with the remaining tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the nuts and serve.

Roasted Yams with Coconut Curry Dip

Here's something to serve with that coconut kale for a very colorful and nourishing vegetarian meal. Just add rice.
serves 6

1 lb yams, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1/2" oval slices
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1 c sour cream
1/4 c coconut milk
pinch ground allspice
pinch ground cinnamon
1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400º. To make clean up easy line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Spread the sliced yams out in a single layer. Sprinkle with the olive oil, cardamom, cumin, salt and pepper. Be sure every yam has some of everything on top of it. Bake until the yams are tender to a fork, about 25 m in.

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, combine our cream, coconut milk, spices and chives. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange the warm yam slices around a bowl of the dip to serve.

Spring Lamb

Lamb is the traditional dish of several religious Spring festivities and farm raised lamb has become popular in local markets. To acknowledge this season and those efforts, here are some worldly ways with Spring lamb.

Sicilian Lamb with Mint and Saffron
Here's a way with lamb chops, from the shoulder which are cheaper than rib chops.
serves  6-8

4 lbs lamb shoulder chops, 2" thick
salt and pepper to your taste
1/4 c olive oil
2 lg red onions, finely diced
5 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
pinch of saffron
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 c beef or veg broth
2 c water
1 c dry white wine
1 c chopped fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped (at least 1 bunch)

Seasons chops with salt and pepper. In a deep wide skillet heat olive oil over med/high heat.   Add lamb and lightly brown on both sides. Remove from pan. Lower heat to medium and add onions to the pan. Season with salt. Sauté, stirring, until soft and translucent, 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic, saffron and tomato paste. Add the lamb chops, with broth and water, hopefully enough to cover the lamb. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer 45 min until lamb is very tender.

Remove lid and raise heat to med to get an active simmer. Reduce juices by half so the sauce thickens. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.  Stir in the chopped mint and serve immediately.

Kleftiko

not my photo

Lamb is the meat of Greece, every which way. This is roast leg and it's as meat and potatoes as Greek food gets. Further down I've posted an alternative, an old favorite: pieces of lamb with orzo.

You start this the night before to get the lamb marinated.

6 garlic cloves

1 tbsp dried oregano leaves

1 tbsp rosemary leaves

3 lemons, zest of one, juice from two

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ c olive oil

4½-5 lb leg of lamb

2¼ lbs waxy potatoes (In Europe favored type is yellow flesh Desiree)

2 lg red onions, peeled and cut half, then half again (wedges)

5 bay leaves

Crush together the garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt using a pestle and mortar or small chopper. Add the herbs, lemon zest, cinnamon, a few grinds of fresh black pepper and blend. Stir in 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Using a sharp knife, create 2-3” deep holes all over the lamb, and rub in this paste, pushing it down. Wrap the lamb tightly in tin foil or a food bag or plastic container. Before closing it up, pour the lemon juice all over the lamb. Tighten the enclosure, put it in the fridge and let the lamb marinate overnight.

The next day, an hour before you want to cook it, take the lamb out of the fridge. Heat oven to 325º.

Line the base of a large lidded heavy oven proof casserole dish (or line a roasting pan with two layers of parchment paper large enough to fold together over the top of both sides – you’ll probably need two pieces at right angles). Peel potatoes and cut in wedges. Line the bottom of the cooking vessel with the cut potatoes and onion. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and the last of the olive oil over them. Pour any juice around the lamb into the pan. Place the lamb itself on top. Add 1 c water and seal the lamb in by folding up the parchment or by closing the lid on the casserole (to make sure it is really tight you can slide a piece of moist parchment on top of the pot before putting the lid down). Roast 4 ½-5 hours. The lamb should be very tender.

Remove pan from the oven. Raise the oven temperature to 425º. Unwrap or uncover the lamb (scrunch down the parchment on each side) and baste the lamb with the juices in the bottom. Return to the oven for 20 minutes to brown. Remove the lamb from the pan, wrap in foil and let it rest. Remove bay leaves and discard them.  Stir the onions and potatoes to flip and return the pan to the oven 15 minutes so they brown. Remove and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Uighur Polow

not my photo

I'm posting this in honor of the Uighur people of Xinjiang who the Chinese are hellbent on erasing from the face of the Earth. Maybe we can't do much for the 1 million suffering in concentration camps or the rest of them under 24 hr surveillance, but we can at least remember them and keep their culture alive. Polow is pilaf and as is typical of the Caucuses region, it's cooked in a special way: the meat boils away on the bottom and rice is laid on top essentially to steam. They are not mixed during cooking.

serves 6-8
1/3 c vegetable oil
 1 lg white onion, sliced
3 lbs boneless leg of lamb, cut into 4 or 5 large pieces (fat not trimmed)
2 1/2 lbs large carrots, cut crosswise on the diagonal, then into 1/2-inch matchsticks
4 c boiling water or beef broth
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp salt
5 1/2 c medium-grain white rice
1 tbsp cumin seed
Optional: pomegranate arils for garnish


Heat the oil in a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the onion. Cook about 6 minutes, stirring a few times, or until some of it begins to get crisped on the edges. Add the meat and sear on all sides, turning the pieces as needed, 8 - 10 minutes. Add the carrots and stir to coat. Pour in 2 c boiling water/broth and add the turmeric. With a spatula dislodge any browned bits on the bottom. Give the mixture a good stir. Once it’s boiling, add salt. Make sure the meat is submerged. Cook uncovered 30 minutes. The liquid in the pot should be at a steady, low boil.

Meanwhile, place the rice in a large mixing bowl. Cover with cool water and rinse, drain and repeat two more times. Fill with water again, covering the rice by 1/2 inch or so. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Add remaining 2 c boiling water/broth to the lamb pot. Spread large spoonfuls of the rice carefully over the surface of the what’s in the pot, spreading it evenly for complete coverage; you don’t want the rice to mix into the bubbling liquid at all. (The rice is going to steam atop the meat and vegetables below.) Cook 5 minutes, then scatter the cumin seed evenly over the rice. Reduce the heat to med/low; cover tightly and cook, undisturbed, for 30 minutes until the rice is tender.

Uncover; gently stir enough to find all the pieces of meat and transfer them to a cutting board. Stir to incorporate the rice and vegetables. The grains of rice should not be sticking together. Cut the meat into 3/4-inch pieces, discarding any fat, if desired.
To serve, divide the meat atop generous portions of the polow. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, if using.

Traditionally this is served with a salad of sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and sliced red onion.

Persian lamb in bulghur with chickpeas

not my photo

The Iranians (aka Persians) are apt to eat a hugely complicated Nowruz feast of smoked fish yet lamb is their most common main dish meat. I've already posted other lamb recipes including one of my favorites, Armenian/Persian lamb shanks with chickpeas. This is a variation on that theme.

This can be made ahead and reheated.
serves at least 4

6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp corn, canola, safflower or any veg oil
3 med onions, diced
2 lbs lamb shanks, trimmed
2 c beef broth or water
1 1/2 c large bulghur, rinsed
2 c (15 oz can) cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
To Serve: thick yogurt, chopped cilantro and tomato wedges

In a medium nonstick saucepan, melt butter. Add oil. Add onion and sauté over med/low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add lamb shanks. Roll them in the butter and brown them on all sides.
Add broth/water, bring to a boil. cover and reduce heat to med/low again. Cook 90 minutes or until meat is almost falling off the bone.  Remove the lamb to a cutting board. Remove the bones, trim off excess fat and cut the meat into bite-sized chunks.

Measure the liquid remaining in the saucepan and add enough water to have 2 3/4 cups liquid in the pan. Add bulghur, chickpeas, spices, salt and pepper, then the lamb. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to low, over and cook about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered and let it steam/rest 10 minutes.

Serve in a large bowl garnished with cilantro and lemon wedges and serve with a dollop of yogurt on top.

Moroccan roasted lamb
I've previously posted one of my all time most popular recipes: lamb with fresh dates, Moroccan tagine with stew lamb. Here's something very different, a Moroccan-spiced version of roast lamb, this the shoulder whereas the Greek above is the leg.
serves 8-10

two 5- to 6-pound bone-in lamb-shoulder roasts
Salt
6 oz unsalted butter, softened 

2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted and finely ground
2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted and finely ground
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground chili powder (Aleppo works well, chipotle will add smoky)
6 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt

Trim lamb of extraneous fat, but leave a thin layer of fat covering the meat (or ask your butcher to do this). Use a sharp paring knife to cut slits all over the lamb. Lightly salt meat on both sides and place in a large roasting pan. Mix together butter, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder and garlic. Smear butter mixture over surface of meat. Allow meat to come to room temperature. Heat oven to 450º.

Roast lamb, uncovered, 30 minutes, until it shows signs of beginning to brown. Reduce heat to 350º. Continue roasting 3 - 4 hours, basting generously every 15 minutes or so with buttery pan juices, until meat is soft and tender enough to pull away easily from bones and skin is crisp. If surface seems to be browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil and reduce heat slightly. In this case, remove foil, baste lamb and allow skin to crisp before removing from oven.

Transfer lamb to a large platter or cutting board. Sprinkle lightly with cumin and sea salt. Carve meat from bones and chop into rough pieces. Serve hot with harissa (Moroccan hot sauce) and warm chickpeas or mashed potatoes.

Lamb with Orzo

not my photo

This is a basic and always popular Greek classic: lamb with pasta in tomato sauce. Perfect for kids and one of the easiest recipes to make. It's Greek name is arni (lamb) gouvetsi (pronounced youvetski). I've had it with shanks and cubes of lamb so you can do it your way. Orzo is the pasta that look like rice.

serves 6
2 lbs boneless lamb, cubed OR 3-4 shanks
1 lb orzo pasta
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lg onion, sliced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 c white wine
Salt and pepper
To serve: 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 450º. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Put 2 tbsp butter, the lamb, onion, garlic, oregano and rosemary into a heavy lidded oven casserole. Brown the meat on all sides, 10-15 minutes,
Add 1 cup water. Reduce heat to 350º, cover casserole and banke 45 minutes or until meat is tender. (The shanks may need at least an hour.) Remove the lamb from the casserole. Add  3 c water, tomato sauce, 4 tbsp butter, salt and pepper and  return to the oven to bring the sauce to a boil.

On the stove, bring a large pot of water to a boil, heavily salt it and add the orzo. Cook 5 minutes only. Drain thoroughly and add the orzo to the boiling tomato sauce, stirring to blend. Bake 15 minutes at 350º. Add the lamb back--if using shanks rip the meat off the bones and discard the bones--stir to blend it in and bake 5 minutes to heat through. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Eatin' O' the Green 2019

Astronomical and meteorological Spring is supposed to be here forcing Earth to go green. Even if winter hasn't loosened its grip on most of us, we can still push forward and go green indoors at the table. The rich color is a sight for sore eyes and a tonic to stomachs. So here are a few ways to green up to get ready for Spring:

Moroccan baked Fish in Cilantro Sauce

The best part of this recipe, after the gorgeous color and blast of taste, is that you can use the cilantro sauce for many other different dishes featuring chicken, pork, eggs or black beans.  It's even good on baked potatoes.
serves 6

1 ½ lbs halibut or other thick white fish cut into six equal portions

2 bunches fresh cilantro, washed and patted dry

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 serrano chili, minced

1 heaping tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp whole coriander seeds

2 tbsp paprika

2/3 c olive oil (to be divided)

3 tbsp fresh lime juice (2 limes)

2 tbsp unsalted butter

3 lg onions, sliced ¼” thick

pinch saffron threads

pinch ground cayenne pepper

zest of one lemon

1 c green or black olives, pitted

Salt and pepper

Lightly season the fish with salt and pepper.

To make the cilantro sauce:

Pull out a few cilantro leaves for garnish. Roughly chop the rest. Put in a medium bowl and add ½ tsp salt, the garlic, chili, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp ground coriander, paprika, ½ c olive oil and all the lime juice.  Stir to blend.

Take ¼ c out of the sauce in reserve and pour the rest over the fish. Coat both sides of the fish in the sauce. Cover and leave at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate several hours.               

(You can do this in advance too.)

In a wide skillet, melt the butter with the remaining olive oil over med/high heat. Add the saffron, then onions. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining ground cumin and coriander, the coriander seeds, and pinch of cayenne. Stir to coat everything in the butter/oil. Once onions start to soften, reduce heat to med/low and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 min until onions are soft and starting to look golden brown. Stir in the lemon zest and olives. Cool to room temperature.

Heat oven to 400º. Put onions in a low baking dish and spread them around so they are about 1” thick. Arrange the marinated fish over them in one layer. Bake on the top rack of the oven 10-15 minutes—until the fish is just done, do not overcook.

To serve: put each fish portion on a bed of onions and top with a smear of the fresh cilantro sauce.  You could complete and color up the meal with roasted rosemary seasoned baby potatoes and a tomato cucumber salad. 

 

Georgian Spinach Paté

I've posted this before but here it is again because it's so vivid, tasty and useful. It's vegan AND gluten-free. Georgian here means from the country next to Armenia, not the southern state. Homecooks in that the Black Sea land turn many vegetables into "paté" and offer several at once with flatbread as part of a mezze/tapas spread to start a meal. Since home cooks might not have a lot of molds, they usually form their paté in available bowls, so I did that and got this green dome. You can use a small loaf pan if you prefer. I topped it with a candied walnut to indicate it contained nuts. That's vital because to nuts can be lethal to those with allergies.
1 lb baby spinach leaves, washed and dry

1 lg garlic clove
1/2 c walnut pieces or halves
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp ground chili (Aleppo works great)
1/2 tsp coriander seeds or 1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 c chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp cider vinegar

Black pepper to your taste
to garnish: walnut halves and/or pomegranate seeds or finely crumbled feta.

Blanch or steam the spinach until it wilts. Drain reserving 2-3 tbsp of the water and squeeze it as dry as possible. Chop it finely.
Put the walnuts, sea salt and garlic in a food chopper or processor and grind to an oil paste. This means grinding until the nuts release their oil. If it seems too thick add 2 tbsp spinach water to get it to the consistency of thick hummus. Grind in the chili, coriander, parsley and cilantro. Add the vinegar and push in the chopped spinach. Before you grind season with freshly ground black pepper. Grind everything into a smooth paté. (Note: this is my adaption using modern equipment. In Georgia cooks do a lot of pounding and pestling.)

Oil a small bowl and pack in the paté, pushing down and leveling the top. Put a pot lid or something

heavy the fits and put a weight on that. Wrap everything in a plastic bag to seal it, put it in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours. Using a small spatula to loosen the edges, unmold the paté onto a round plate. Garnish with walnuts and whatever else. Surround with bread and a knife for spreading.
This can also be a pitta sandwich filling which you can embellish as you wish with sour cream or cheese or chopped red onion and cucumber.

Tuscan Kale Chickpea Soup

Another treasure from my worldly chickpea recipe collection that lets you serve kale unpretentiously. This is a very nutritious, vegan soup lighter than winter fare. (Of course if you choose to use chicken soup it won't be vegan but it will be extra delicious.)

Serves 4-6

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp fennel seeds

1-2 tsp chili flakes

3-4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 c chopped tomatoes (fresh or boxed)

Zest of ½ lemon

2 c cooked/canned chickpeas (drained weight)

1 1/4 lbs kale, shredded

1/4 c orzo pasta (or other small pasta shape)

4 c vegetable/chicken broth

Salt and black pepper

 To serve

Extra lemon zest

Extra virgin olive oil

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add fennel seeds, chili flakes, garlic and ginger. Cook gently a few minutes until fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes and lemon zest and continue to cook until tomatoes have softened, about 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, kale and orzo, stirring to blend. Pour in the broth. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook until the kale and orzo are soft. Check for seasoning, adding salt and black pepper to taste.

Spicy Chinese Green Beans

These Hunan style beans are an old favorite that never goes out of style and makes your kitchen more international. Without the optional pork, these are vegan.
serves 4-6

1 lb Kentucky Wonder green beans, trimmed and cleaned

2 c peanut oil                                      

2 sm chili peppers, seeded & minced

2 lg garlic cloves, minced                        

1 tbsp Hoisin sauce    

2” piece ginger, peeled and minced     

1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry

3 scallions, finely chopped                    

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Optional: ¼ lb ground pork

Heat oil in wok or deep saucepan until sizzling. Deep-fry beans 3-4 minutes, in batches if necessary, until slightly wrinkled. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Transfer 2 tbsp of hot oil to a clean wok or skillet. Add garlic, ginger, scallions and optional pork. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add chili and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients plus 1 tbsp water, stir to blend and warm over medium heat 1 minute. Add beans, blend with sauce and heat through to serve.

Persian Celery Stew

This is one of my all time favorites. It changed forever how I treat celery so I included it in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking. A wallflower vegetable becomes a superstar with a pinch of saffron, a pat of butter and a pile of fresh parsley. And it's all so simple! I've had this turned into a main course with the addition of chicken so feel free to go there if that's to your taste. Use a skinless boneless breast per person, chop it in large cubes and put it in with the celery. This is a comforting side dish for roast chicken or turkey or pork. Some cooks add cubes of lamb to this.

Serves 6-8

1½ bunches of celery, stalks apart and cleaned

4 tbsp butter

1 lg red onion, peeled and diced

¼ tsp freshly cracked or ground black pepper

2 bunches flat leaf parsley, cleaned and chopped (at least 3 cups)

¼ tsp saffron

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp dried crushed mint

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cut celery into 1” pieces, even leaves.

 Melt butter in a large saucepan or medium casserole. Sauté onion over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add black pepper and celery and continue to sauté 5 minutes. Add half the parsley (1½ cups or one bunch), saffron and vegetable broth. Stir to blend. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes. Add remainder of parsley except for 1 tbsp. Add mint, salt and lemon juice, stirring to blend. Continue cooking for 10-12 minutes or until celery is soft. Adjust for salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining chopped parsley to serve.

Pea, Broccoli and Mint Soup
Winter into spring greens here, blazing color and very tonic, this recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi.

Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

1 onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3” fresh ginger (2 tbsp), peeled and grated
10 oz green peas (frozen okay)
10 oz fresh broccoli, stalks included, roughly chopped

2 c vegetable broth

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can coconut milk

1 bunch fresh mint leaves

To serve
toasted pumpkin seeds
fresh mint leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
toasted sourdough garlic bread

Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a med/low heat. Roughly chop the onion and garlic, add them to the pan with ginger and sauté 10 minutes or until the onion begins to soften. Add peas and broccoli and sauté 5 minutes. Add the broth and season to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally so the soup doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut milk and most of the mint, saving some leaves for garnish. Using an immersion (hand) blender or food processor, blend into a smooth soup.

Serve topped with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, mint, and a drizzle of oil. Have toasted garlic bread on the side.