Spiced Lamb With Crunchy Jewel Relish Food

SPICED LAMB SHANKS WITH BLOOD ORANGE RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat a large Dutch oven (preferably oval) or soup pot with a lid, over high heat. Add half the olive oil and heat. Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Add 2 of the lamb shanks to the hot oil and brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer shanks to a plate. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and shanks. Add the garlic, celery, carrots and onions and to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to strip the zest (just the orange skin, not the white pith underneath) from the orange in large pieces. Halve and juice the orange and set aside.
• Add the red wine to the vegetables and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits that cling to the pot. Stir in the orange zest, currants, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the wine is syrupy, about 5 minutes.
• Cut a square of cheesecloth and place the parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, juniper berries, peppercorns and star anise in the center. Tie into a bundle with kitchen twine. Add the spice bundle, chicken broth, orange juice and the shanks, along with any collected juices, to the pot, bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning the shanks occasionally, until the meat is just falling off the bone.
• Transfer the shanks to a plate. Scoop the vegetables from the liquid using a slotted spoon and set aside. Boil the cooking liquid over high heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, and season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Return the shanks to the sauce and warm over medium heat, turning to coat evenly.
• To serve, mound some of the polenta in the centers of 4 heated dinner plates. Top with a shank, and spoon some sauce and vegetables over and around the meat. Spoon a bit of Blood Orange Relish over each shank and serve immediately.
• Cut both ends from the oranges. Stand them on a flat end and cut away all of the peel and white pith. Quarter them top to bottom. Lay the wedges on their sides and slice them thinly crosswise. Slice the fennel crosswise into very thin slices.
• Gently toss the oranges, fennel, apple, parsley, fennel seeds and vinegar together in a small bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. (This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.)
• Bring the milk, chicken broth and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in the polenta in a slow stream and cook, whisking constantly, until the polenta thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. When large bubbles begin to surface, remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and pepper. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary.

SPICY LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• The objective: A nice, pink, juicy leg of lamb has a final temperature of about 120 degrees F. Use a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with a fitted rack. Elevating the lamb slightly off the bottom of the roasting pan allows the hot air to better circulate around the meat as it cooks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toast the spices: In a medium bowl, combine the cayenne, fennel seeds, dry mustard, paprika, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Mix the spices and pour them out onto a baking sheet. Place the tray inside the oven for 1 minute to warm the spices and allow them to toast slightly. This will awaken their flavors. Remove the tray from the oven.
• Make the paste to coat the leg of lamb: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, molasses and salt. Add the toasted spices and mix together to create a paste. Coat all sides of the leg in the seasoning paste. If you have time, allow the lamb to sit out for about an hour and come closer to room temperature. Alternatively, you can marinate the lamb like this for several hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator before cooking.
• Cook the lamb: Place the lamb leg in the center of the fitted rack on the roasting pan and place it in the center of the oven. Cook, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Use an instant-read meat thermometer and take the temperature of the thickest part of the leg meat. Your meat thermometer should read about 85 degrees F. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Ideally, the thickest part of the leg should come to about 118 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the roasting pan to a flat surface to rest.
• Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. Place the fresh chiles on a flat surface and, with a small knife, cut them both into thin rounds, ribs, seeds and all.
• Pour off some of the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan. Put the pan on top of a burner on your stove. Start a low heat under the pan and when the drippings begin to sizzle, add in the mustard, vinegar and fresh chiles. Taste for seasoning. Pour over the leg of lamb.
• Carve the meat: Begin carving at the loin end of the leg; you want to carve at a right-angle relative to the grain of the meat. Observe that this meat has lines almost like a piece of wood, aim the blade of your knife at a right-angle to the grain and slice thin pieces. Arrange the slices on a platter with the sauce.

PAN ROASTED LAMB LOIN WITH SWEET AND SOUR RELISH AND (SMOKY OR GRILLED) EGGPLANT PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat the grill over medium-high heat and the oven to 275 degrees F.
• For the eggplant puree: Place the Japanese eggplant slices into a perforated hotel pan over a solid hotel pan or on a rack set over a sheet pan and season with salt. Season the Italian eggplant flesh with salt and place into the hotel pan or on the rack with the Japanese eggplant slices, let sit about 5 minutes.
• Place the eggplant into a bowl and add a drizzle of the extra-virgin olive oil, rosemary leaves, and thyme leaves. Place the whole eggplant onto the hottest part of the grill, flesh-side down. Cover with metal bowl and cook, about 5 to 6 minutes. Place the Japanese eggplant slices onto the cooler part of the grill and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Both the Japanese and Italian eggplants should be done at the same time.
• Remove the charred flesh of the Italian eggplant and discard the skins. Add the flesh and seeds to a blender. Drizzle in about 1/2-cup extra-virgin olive oil, juice of 1 orange, and salt, to taste. Taste and re-season, if needed.
• For the lamb: Season the lamb loins with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Place a saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once heated, add the lamb to the pan and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and continue to sear on the other side, another minute. Add the butter, remaining rosemary sprig and thyme sprig and allow the butter to melt. Baste the lamb with the melted butter and place into the oven. Roast the lamb for about 10 minutes, or until the lamb is medium-rare to medium, about 125 to 130 degrees F.
• When the lamb is done, remove the lamb from the oven and set aside briefly to rest prior to slicing. (2 servings)
• For the sweet and sour relish: To a small saucepan over medium heat add 2 cups white wine and 1 cup golden raisins.
• To a high-sided saute pan over medium heat, add 2 to 3 tablespoons blended oil. Once heated, add the shallots and season with salt, to taste. Next, add the garlic and stir to combine. Once fragrant, add the diced eggplant and season again with salt. Add the pine nuts, capers, the juice of 2 oranges, and about 1/2 cup sherry vinegar. Once the flames stops, add the raisins and wine and stir to combine. To a small saute pan, add about 1 tablespoon cumin seeds and place over low heat to toast. Once toasted add the cumin seeds and about 2 tablespoons sugar. Allow the eggplant to cook down and simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes.
• For plating: To a medium bowl add the arugula, sliced chile and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Toss to combine.
• For each serving, spoon some of the smoky eggplant puree onto a plate. Slice half the tenderloin into 1/2-inch rounds and plate in between the grilled Japanese slices. Top with some of the sweet and sour eggplant relish and the micro arugula salad. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

SPICED ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Stir together the marinade ingredients and season with ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1½ tsp flaky salt. Slash the lamb several times on both sides, then massage the marinade all over it. Seal into a large food bag or non-metallic container and chill overnight (or at least for a few hrs). Let the lamb sit at room temperature for 1 hr before roasting.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the lamb into a foil-lined roasting tin and roast for 20 mins. Turn the oven down to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and roast for 1 hr 20 mins for meat that's pink near the bone. Cover loosely with foil halfway through cooking or once the marinade has charred and the meat looks golden.
• Leave the lamb to rest for 20 mins before carving, then serve with lentil & tomato and cucumber salads (see related recipes).

CRISPY LAMB WITH CUMIN, SCALLIONS AND RED CHILES

Steps:

• In a bowl combine egg white, wine, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add lamb and set aside to marinate 1 hour.
• Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Swirl half the oil into wok and carefully add lamb, spreading it in a single layer. Let sear a moment, then stir-fry briskly just until lamb is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate. (If your wok is not large enough to hold all the lamb, do this in 2 batches, using extra oil.)
• Swirl remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil into empty wok, add cumin seeds and chiles and stir-fry a few seconds until cumin seeds start to pop. Press chiles against sides of wok to char their skins.
• Add scallions and stir-fry 1 minute. Then return lamb to wok and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes more until lamb is cooked through. Turn off heat, sprinkle with salt and drops of sesame oil, and serve immediately.

HOT CUMIN LAMB WRAP WITH CRUNCHY SLAW & SPICY MAYO

Steps:

• Heat a griddle pan. Rub the lamb steaks with the oil, cumin and some seasoning. Griddle for about 3-4 mins on each side or until cooked to your liking. Place to one side on a plate to rest.
• In a large bowl, stir the sugar into the vinegar until dissolved. Add the carrots, spring onions, cabbage and some seasoning, and toss together.
• Blitz the whole peppers and the mayo in a food processor. Add a heap of the salad to each flatbread. Slice the lamb, trimming off any excess fat and lay on top of the salad, drizzling with the resting juices. Spoon over the mayo and scatter with a few of the sliced peppers. Roll up and eat. If using pitta, split and stuff. Serve any extra salad on the side.