Steamed Lamb Food

STEAMED LAMB

Steps:

• 1. Trim the lamb of excess fat: the thin fell can be left on. Blend the saffron with 1/4 cup butter, salt, and pepper. Rub into the lamb flesh.
• 2. Bring plenty of water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer, kettle, or couscousière (to borrow a trick from Diana Kennedy, author of The Cuisines of Mexico,* toss in a penny - when the penny stops clicking you need more water). Dampen a piece of cheesecloth and twist into a strip the length of the circumference of the kettle's rim. Use this strip to fasten the perforated top so that it fits snugly on top. Check all sides for effective sealing: steam should rise only through the holes. Make a bed of parsley over the holes and rest the shoulder of lamb on it. Surround with the onions, if used, and cover with a double layer of cheesecloth and then, tightly, with a lid. Do not lift the lid during the first 1 3/4 hours of steaming. Be very careful, and stand back when lifting the lid. If the lamb is tender and falling off the bone it is ready; if not, continue steaming 15 to 30 minutes longer.
• 3. If desired, brown in oil and butter or rub again with butter and brown in a very hot oven (highest setting). Serve with bowls of ground cumin and salt, to be used as a dip.
• New York: Harper & Row, 1972.
• •Traditionally, this dish would be prepared with zebda, a pungent, naturally curdled product that originated with the Moroccan Berbers. American unsalted butter, while not an exact match, can be successfully substituted. •This dish is typically served with couscous, the tiny Moroccan semolina pasta. To produce authentically fluffy Moroccan couscous, steam it for 30 minutes in a couscousière or tight-fitting, lidless steamer. Then dump it into a flat pan, slowly add 1 cup of salted water, and rake out any lumps with a wire whisk. Finally, return the couscous to the couscousière and steam it for an additional 30 minutes.

HERB STEAMED LAMB

Steps:

• Sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto the lamb. Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook the lamb evenly, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The outside should be golden brown, and the inside still pink. Save the leftover juice in the pan.
• Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat, then add the bark and thyme. The bark should be placed on top of the thyme so that it is above the liquid. Now place the lamb on top of the bark so it will be steamed and not submerged in the stock. Cover the pot and let the lamb steam, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme flowers and bear's garlic. Cover and steam again, about 10 minutes, and then let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Slice the lamb evenly along each rib to make lamb chops. Place the ribs on plates with dollops of Bear's Garlic Pesto and pour a little bit of the leftover juice over the lamb. Garnish with primrose flowers.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add a pinch sea salt. Prepare a separate bowl of ice water and set aside. Blanch half the garlic in the boiling water for about 5 seconds, and then dip it in ice water for about 2 seconds. Squeeze the excess liquid from the leaves with your hands and place in a food processor with the remaining fresh garlic. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil into the food processor with a pinch of salt. Process on high speed until coarsely ground, 5 to 10 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a sieve and press the liquid through into a bowl using a ladle.