Lamb Roasted in the Style of Bordeaux

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had reservations about posting this recipe on several counts. Not everyone likes lamb and this recipe, developed by Paula Wolfert, uses ingredients that are expensive and not always easy to find. I decided to feature the recipe because the Silver Fox and I both love this entree and I thought at least a few of you might like to give the recipe a try. In a perfect world, this dish would be made with a bone-in leg of lamb. Despite the fact that huge flocks of sheep graze here in Oregon, a whole leg of lamb is next to impossible to find, and I usually have to settle for a boned roast. That makes for easy carving, but makes the use of a meat thermometer an absolute necessity to keep the meat from overcooking. This recipe calls for goose or duck fat, ingredients that I suspect are not gathering dust in your pantries. I understand that some butchers stock it, but I have not been able to find either ingredient in our local markets. I have, however, found an online source that you can link to here. Fortunately, goose and duck fat can be frozen, so I buy a year's supply at a time and tuck it in among the other eclectic items in my freezer. While, in theory, any red-wine vinegar can be used to baste and sauce the lamb, I am partial to one that comes from the Bordeaux region of France. I think it makes a smoother, less acidic sauce. It, too, can be purchased online and you can find it here. Once you have the proper ingredients, this lamb is very easy to prepare. It is studded with garlic, rubbed with goose fat and basted with a vinegar marinade as it cooks, all of which contribute to its great flavor. I do hope you will try this recipe which comes from Paula Wolfert's, The Cooking of Southwestern France. The lamb is wonderful with roast potatoes and I really think you will enjoy it. Here's how it is made.

Lamb Roasted in the Style of Bordeaux...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Paula Wolfert

Ingredients:
1 whole bone-in leg of lamb (about 5-1/2 pounds)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut into thin slivers
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons rendered goose or duck fat
2 tablespoons grapeseed or peanut oil
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 cup water
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock

Directions:
1) Trim off  fell and excess  fat  from lamb, leaving a thin layer of fat. Make about 10 incisions near  leg bone and insert garlic slivers. Rub meat with  measured salt and pepper, then coat with  fat and oil. Massage into meat. Refrigerate, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before roasting.
2) Heat  oven to 500 degrees F and arrange a rack in  middle.
3) Meanwhile, combine  vinegar and shallots in a small nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce  heat to low and simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the shallots and vinegar separately.
4) Place lamb on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast until browned all over, about 25 minutes. Remove  lamb from the oven and reduce  temperature to 350 degrees F. Pour  reserved vinegar and water into  roasting pan. Return lamb to  oven and roast, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F to 140 degrees F,  about 1 hour. Remove  lamb to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.
5) Meanwhile, make shallot sauce: Add  chicken stock and reserved shallots to the drippings in roasting pan and bring to a boil,  scraping up any browned bits from bottom of  pan. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Slice lamb and serve with the shallot sauce. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Lemon Sour Cream Muffins

Two Years Ago Today: Moules Mariniere

Chicken Breasts with Garlic Wine (Poulet au Vin d'Ail)

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple, yet elegant, entree is nearly effortless to prepare. It takes less than 30 minutes to make, but it is prepared in two stages. The recipe includes a garlic wine that must be made a day or two before the chicken is sauteed. Dry white wine or dry vermouth is infused with a mixture of garlic and herbs and allowed to sit until their flavors permeate the wine. The wine is what gives this chicken its wonderful flavor. I use French vermouth to make the garlic wine used in this recipe. Years ago, Julia Child suggested the use of vermouth when good white wine was not available for cooking. I rarely have a bottle of white wine sitting on the door of my refrigerator, so I use vermouth in its stead. It can be kept for ages if properly stored and it makes an excellent cooking wine. I use Noilly Prat, Original French Dry Vermouth, for most of my cooking, but I also use an aperitif called Lillet, when we have it in the house. Lillet, by the way, is the "vermouth" used to make the famous Vesper martini popularized by James Bond in the movie Casino Royale. From my perspective, the advantage to using a brand specific vermouth is the consistency with which it performs. The folks at Cook's Illustrated also recommend Gallo vermouth for cooking. It has the advantage of being much less expensive than its French counterparts and it is more readily available in some communities. I have yet to use it, but it is on my must-try list. If you have an aversion to tarragon, omit it, but do not double the amount of thyme used in the recipe. This is a lovely, company worthy entree that was developed by Paula Wolfert. She has never let me down and I know that those of you who try this chicken will really enjoy it. The dish comes from Southwestern France and it is simple to prepare, visually appealing and absolutely delicious. I do hope you will try it. Here's the recipe.

Chicken Breasts with Garlic Wine (Poulet au Vin d'Ail)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Paula Wolfert

Ingredients for garlic wine:
9 garlic cloves
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of tarragon
1/4 teaspoon freshly crushed peppercorns
1 cup dry white wine or dry French vermouth

Ingredients for chicken:
3/4 cup Garlic Wine (recipe follows)
4 boneless chicken breast halves
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Flour, for dredging
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, plus additional for seasoning
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1) To make garlic wine: One to two days before serving, halve garlic cloves and put them in a 1-pint canning jar along with thyme, tarragon and crushed pepper corns. Bring wine or vermouth to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over ingredients in jar. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to2 days. Strain wine through cheesecloth and return to a clean jar. Discard solids. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2) To prepare chicken: Trim chicken breasts and flatten slightly with a rolling pin to form cutlets of an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat clarified butter and oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until sizzling. Add chicken breasts and sauté on both sides, until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Do not overcook. Transfer chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add tarragon and cook over gentle heat for 10 seconds. Add garlic wine and water, scraping pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Bring contents of pan to a boil. Add cream and boil to reduce until thick enough to coat a spoon. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more tarragon to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve at once. Yield: 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Baja Summer Slaw

Two Years Ago Today: Beginner's Whole Wheat Batter Bread

Three Years Ago Today: Apple Onion Bread with Cheddar Cheese

Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Let's face it, braises and stews are the ugly ducklings of the culinary circuit. Fortunately, great flavor masks their appearance and most folks include at least one braise or stew among their favorite dishes. Even the Silver Fox, who on finishing this lovely Moroccan chicken declared it to be, and I quote now, "a glorious mess." Now the Fox may not have made his money in the diplomatic corp, but he knows a good thing when he sees it and that was a rave review. I found the recipe while researching the work of Paula Wolfert. I needed just one recipe to represent her cooking for a feature on 50 Women Game-Changers in Food. I, instead, walked away with over a dozen that needed to be tried. One read of this recipe convinced me that this was something special and I made it for our dinner tonight. Mean weather made it all the more appealing and it is a perfect meal for a damp and chilly evening. This chicken is really easy to make, although the brining of the chicken adds a time factor that must be taken into account. I urge you not to bypass brining the chicken. It really makes a difference in this dish. The chicken stays moist and succulent and that moistness is a perfect foil for the Moroccan spices used in this dish. The chicken can be on the table within 45 minutes and you won't regret a moment of the time you spend making it. Here's the recipe.

Moroccan Chicken Smothered In Olives...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of The New York Times and Paula Wolfert

Ingredients:
1/4 cup salt, for brining (optional)
1/2 cup sugar, for brining (optional)
8 chicken thighs with bone, skin removed and discarded
2 onions, peeled, halved and sliced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon Spanish sweet paprika
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
11-oz. pitted green olives in brine, like Goya's, drained
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:
1) To brine chicken (optional): In a large bowl, combine salt, sugar and 1 cup hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add 3 cups cold water and chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain, rinse, and drain again before using.
2) In bottom of a large flameproof casserole, arrange onions and top with chicken pieces. Sprinkle with ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, garlic and cilantro. Pour chicken broth over all.
3) Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine olives with several cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, drain well and set aside.
4) Add olives and lemon juice to chicken, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. If desired, simmer for additional time to reduce and thicken sauce. Serve hot. Yield: 4 servings.








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Two Years Ago Today: Lebkuchen Bars and Speculaas

50 Women Game Changers in Food - #25 Paula Wolfert - Moroccan Carrot Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Paula Wolfert is an acknowledged expert in the cooking of the Mediterranean, but when this Brooklyn girl first married she, quite literally, couldn't boil water. Frustrated with her cooking failures, she decided to take cooking classes at Dione Lucas's Cordon Bleu cooking school. It was love at first bite- forgive that please - and she left college to work in the school kitchen to offset the cost of her tuition. Her first husband's job took them to Morocco where she first became fascinated with the rich flavors and exotic ingredients of the area. It was here that she began began her life-long quest to find the best dishes the region had to offer. Her search took her from lowly Berber villages to Greece, Spain, Italy and the south of France. Her second husband, the novelist William Bayer, urged her to write her first cookbook. She did that, and went on to write eight more books that chronicle her adventures and the food she found in a precise, yet exuberant manner. Her books can all be found here. She has detractors who actually criticize her recipes for their authenticity and use hard-to-find ingredients. She refuses to bow or bend and insists on authentic taste in the dishes she prepares. Wolfert has a simple test that dishes to be used in her books must pass. She must want to eat them again. She views food as memory and wants dishes that have lingering flavors that will appeal to all the senses. Her future plans include a book on garlic and olive oil and perhaps one on the fruits and vegetables of the Mediterranean. You understand, of course, that would require her to explore still more villages in search of another great cook or undiscovered secret. I suspect she already has her bag packed. I have chosen a very simple recipe to showcase her work. It is a carrot salad that is perfectly spiced and it is a nice counterpoint to the heavy food we've been feasting on this holiday. Here's the recipe.

Moroccan Carrot Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Paula Wolfert

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots
1 clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika or Aleppo pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
Olive oil and chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:
1) Wash and peel carrots. Boil whole in water with garlic clove until barley tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Discard garlic. Let carrots cool, then slice or dice and place in a large bowl.
2) Combine spices, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Pour over carrots. Toss to combine.
3) Chill. Toss again before serving and top with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley. Yield:
4 to 6 servings.

The following bloggers are also featuring the recipes of Paula Wolfert today. I hope you'll visit all of them. They are great cooks who have wonderful blogs.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne - Eats Well With Others, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed Susan - The Spice Garden, Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living, April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud, Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds, Amy - Beloved Green, Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Linda A - There and Back Again, Martha - Lines from Linderhof, Nancy - Picadillo
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Annie - Most Lovely Things, Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook


Next week we will highlight the career and recipes of Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information no later than Monday, November 28th.