Lamb Calabrian Style Food

SPICY CALABRIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
• Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, eggs, panko, mayonnaise, and milk. Add the garlic, paprika, salt, ginger, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, cloves, coriander and nutmeg. Using your hands, mix well to combine. Add 3 tablespoons each of the parsley, cilantro, and scallion and use your hands to mix for 1 minute to distribute the herbs.
• Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a small 2-ounce (60 milliliter) cookie scoop, add the meatballs to the pan, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 centimeter) space between them. Bake until the meatballs are lightly browned and the internal temperature reads 155 degrees F (68 degrees C), 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a large bowl, toss the meatballs with the sauce and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon each of parsley, cilantro, and scallion. Scatter with more parsley and serve immediately.
• In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shallots and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and use a potato masher to smooth out any lumps. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, along with the chicken stock, garlic, chiles (and some of their oil), vinegar, basil, parsley, and black pepper and stir to combine.
• Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until it reduces slightly, about 20 more minutes. (It will be a thinner sauce.) To prevent scorching, stir the sauce every few minutes. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

LAMB CHOPS, CALABRESE, WITH TOMATOES, PEPPERS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Cut each pepper lengthwise along the creases, remove the stem, seeds, and pithy core, and skin with a swivel-blade vegetable peeler. Cut into approximately 1-1/2" squares.
• Sprinkle the chops on both sides with a little salt.
• Put the olive oil into a 12" skillet and turn on the heat to high. When oil is hot, slide in the lamb chops. Brown them throughly on one side, turn over, and brown thoroughly on the other side. Remove from the pan to a plate and set aside.
• Put the chopped onion into the pan and cook it over lively heat, stirring frequently, until it becomes a rich gold colour. Add tomatoes with their juice, turning them over in the pan once or twice, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the cut up peppers, parsley, olives, salt and generous grindings of black pepper. Turn heat down to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until the peppers are tender but firm.
• Sprinkle the chops with pepper and return them to the pan with the sauce. Turn the chops over several times to coat well and after about a minute or so, empty the full contents of the skillet onto a warm serving platter and promptly serve to hungry diners.

LAMB CALABRIAN STYLE

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with the pepper.
• A few pieces at a time, roll the lamb chunks in the flour to completely coat, and set aside (this is better done as stated in a bowl than in a resealable bag, in which they all gum together!).
• Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; add the lamb chunks and saute briskly until they reach your desired degree of doneness (we like ours medium-rare, which is about 5-7 minutes).
• Add the hot pepper flakes, and mix well.
• Stir in the capers and the anchovies, mixing well, especially to get the anchovies broken up and well incorporated.
• Remove from heat and serve immediately!

STEAMED CLAMS WITH LEMONS AND CALABRIAN CHILES

Steps:

• Preheat the grill over medium-high heat.
• Add the butter, parsley sprigs, rosemary, thyme and chopped garlic to a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat and allow the butter to melt. Add the preserved lemon, Calabrian chiles and clams and stir to combine. Cover the clams with the wine, then bring to a simmer and allow the clams to open and the sauce to reduce, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the lemon halves and bread on the grill and allow to char all over, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove both from the grill. Rub each piece of bread with the whole clove of garlic and drizzle with the olive oil. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Remove the clams from the Dutch oven to a large serving bowl. Allow the sauce to reduce for another 2 minutes over high heat. Taste and adjust the sauce with salt, if needed. Add the charred lemon and bread to the serving bowl and pour over the reduced sauce, sprigs and all. Garnish with the chopped parsley.