Braised Lamb Shanks, Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

Have I got your attention? At this point in the year - for my northern hemisphere, non-equatorial friends, at least - you are hunkering down for the bite of winter soon to approach, if it hasn't already. And with that frosty chill in mind, here are some extremely rewarding recipes to dive into and repeat often. You will certainly want to, once you have lifted fork and tasted the juiciness, the melt-in-your mouth flavors that have earned their place at your table....

And for dessert..... Because, why stop without a nibble of something sweet to send you fully on your way, warm and sated after braised and baked delights?

Braised Lamb Shanks - from Canal House Cooking

Serves 6

Good olive oil

6 lamb shanks

1 small bulb of garlic, cloves peeled

9 small onions, halved lengthwise

1 cup red wine

1 cup crushed tomatoes

2 bay leaves

6-8 cups chicken stock

2 lemons, quartered

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat a good glug of olive oil in a dutch oven or large, deep enameled cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks with salt and freshly ground pepper. In batches, brown the shanks on all sides, about 10 minutes or so, and transfer to a platter as browned. Lightly brown the garlic and transfer to the platter with the meat. Add the onions in the pot, cut side down, and sear without turning them, until nicely browned, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer them to the platter as well.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Pour off any fat and get up any of the black bits in the bottom of the pan with a damp paper towel. Bring pot back to the flame on medium-high heat, and add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in tomatoes. Return the shanks, garlic, onions, and any juices on the platter to the pot. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Add bay leaves and stock, then the lemons. Cover pot and transfer to oven. braise the mixture in the pot until shanks are tender, about 2 1/2 hours. 

Uncover the pot and continue to cook in the oven, until shanks are so tender the meat nearly falls off the bone and the braising liquid has reduced a bit, about 45 minutes or so. 

Serve the lamb, garlic, onions, and lemons with polenta or mashed potatoes and a black-berry, round red wine (any of these is great ~ Red Zinfandel, Malbec, Primitivo, Mourvedre).

Buttery Skin-On Mashed Potatoes

Serves 6

4 floury potatoes, like Sebago, diced

4 dense, buttery potatoes, like Yukon Gold, diced

1/2 cup heavy cream

A few good knobs of great butter (from grass fed cows is best!)

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

In a pressure cooker or in a saucepan with a wire basket, steam potatoes over boiling water until fork tender. Strain potatoes and place into a large bowl. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until butter has melted and cream comes just to a boil. Mash potatoes with a fork or masher, add cream-butter mixture, and season to taste. Mash to the consistency of your preference - chunky or creamy, as you like. Serve warm beside extra pats of butter.

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

Serves 6

2 eggs

1 2/3 cups self-rising flour

1/3 cup dutch process cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup full fat milk

1/2 cup Frangelico, Sherry, or Amaretto

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and just over half the sugar until pale and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and beat to combine. Sift flour, baking powder, and two-thirds of the cocoa powder into butter mixture, and stir to combine. Add milk and liqueur and beat until smooth. Add in chocolate pieces and stir to combine. Pour batter into a buttered 8-inch baking dish.

Add together remaining brown sugar, cocoa powder, and liqueur into a bowl and stir. Add 1 1/3 cups boiling water, whisk together, and pour mixture over pudding batter. Bake until cake has risen and a skewer inserted into cake center comes out almost clean (but not quite), about 35-40 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and serve warm. 

Today's New York Times -Tropical Style, and Americana Too

It's been a wonderfully busy few weeks and that has made me scant in these parts. I have a backlog of stories and photographs, each a fun and fabulous experience that I am eager to share with you all. Because it is out today - and they are supremely delicious, I can attest! - here are a couple pieces featured in today's New York Times Dining section. If you can get the printed edition the photos are just gorgeous. Full color, large, totally yummy. Here's a screenshot from the online version and some of my outtakes, below.

 

The story shares three recipes, though there is a fourth that didn't make the cut. They really are delicious, so do please explore the recipes in the Times pages and tell me what you think. I can verify that the fourth too is super tasty (love my job), and worth shopping for the ingredients and coming home to prepare. Here it is:

Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Salsa

1 1/2 lbs U16-20 shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tsp olive oil
salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 ripe, firm avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp good-quality chile powder
1/4 lime juice, from about 2 limes
1/2 cup orange juice, preferably freshly-squeezed
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

On a stovetop grill (or on one outdoors) heat on high for about 5 minutes, then turn to medium-high. Coat the shrimp with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and thread onto skewers. Place on the grill and cook, turning once, until shrimp are just opaque throughout, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and slide off of skewers into a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, toss to coat well, season with additional s & p as needed, and serve. 

In other news my friend Katie has included some photographs from an Americana series I shot on her blog What Katie Ate. Lots of great contributions in this story, so sit back and enjoy the many beautiful pictures! More of my faves from that series....

Hope this story transported you to Coney Island, whisked you to the most classic classic diner, brought you to a tropical paradise, and that you've found a bit of yourself here. Things have been a blast. I can't wait to tell you more of what's been gong on. Stay tuned! ;)

Springtime Food - Lamb, Ramps, Peppery Cress......

I thought I'd get out ahead of the curve and share some amazing food with you all for Easter. Ahem... right... I can say that I most certainly tested and cooked and photographed all of this in advance of said date - with you all in mind - but that numerous projects took over my days and effectively pushed the frolic and fun I so wanted to share, back...

This really isn't an excuse, but more a plea that you'll still love what I have to share, even though the story depicts tales now démodé. The saving grace is that it is still spring, and that you'll easily find all of these yummy ingredients at the market should you be driven to make any of the recipes! And I think you will.

They are that good.

Each is worth making alone, as something special to impress your sweetheart, or to eat with friends over for dinner. They are worth the effort - which thankfully in most cases - is minimal. Which leaves you free to deal with all of your other projects, ahem. ;)

Please enjoy and let me know what you think! I would love to hear your adventures with these recipes and any tweaks you've made along the way. Bon appétit...

 

Caramelized Onion & Potato Gratin

Serves 6-8

9 yukon gold potatoes, sliced thinly on a mandolin

2 yellow onions, sliced

2 shallots, sliced

1 cup gruyere cheese, grated

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

7 or so sprigs of fresh thyme

butter for baking dish

olive oil for sauteeing

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Butter the baking dish and set aside. Sauté the onions and shallots together in a good glug of olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent and aromatic (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add cream, stir to combine. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Layer the potatoes like shingles as you go, topping with the onion-cream mixture and then a scatter of grated cheese to cover. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Repeat fanning the potato slices for each layer, choosing a pattern which pleases you. Add the sprinkling of cayenne and nutmeg to a layer - I chose the middle of the three - and finish with the shingled potatoes on top. Press down to compact the layers and add the thyme sprigs and a final dash of s & p. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes. Check to see that it evenly browns and turn if necessary, baking for an additional 15 minutes, or until cooked through and golden on top.

Rack of Lamb Persillade - adapted from the fabulous Ina Garten

Serves 3-4

1 good-sized rack of lamb, frenched 

1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed

2 cloves garlic, halved

2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 tbsp lemon zest

good olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

a good knob of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Place the rack in a roasting pan, fat-side up. Rub with olive oil and season with s & p. Roast the lamb for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, place the parsley and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add the bread crumbs and lemon zest, and process again until combined. Remove lamb from oven and pat parsley mixture onto the meat. Drizzle melted butter over and return to oven, roasting for an additionl 15 minutes (for rare-medium rare). Take the lamb out of the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice into chops, and serve.

Shallot-Mint Sauce
1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
1 shallot, peeled and trimmed
1 cup good olive oil
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar
pinch sea salt

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined. Resulting flavor should be zingy and bright. Taste, and season to adjust if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate extra. Serve on lamb chops (above), or steaks. Delicious as a dressing for rustic slaws.  Also great as dipping sauce for chips and flatbreads. Keep refrigerated. Good for up to 1 month.

Asparagus & Ramps with Hard-boiled Quail Eggs

Serves 6-8

2 bunches asparagus, ends trimmed

1 bunch ramps, cleaned and trimmed - you can also use spring onions if ramps are difficult to find

9 quail eggs

good olive oil

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

for the dressing

1/3 cup good olive oil

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

sea salt

1 pinch red chili flakes

Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Meanwhile, sauté asparagus in olive oil over medium heat. Alternate covering, and searing uncovered, turning often, to achieve nicely cooked, yet bright green stalks - about 7 minutes. Add the ramps and brown for a minute or so, until they wilt. As water boils, add the quails' eggs in batches and simmer for a few minutes - no more than 4 minutes total each. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and immediately place in a bowl of cool water. Set aside. To make the dressing, whisk together all ingredients and season to taste. Adjust as necessary. Place the asparagus and ramps on a platter. Peel the quail eggs and slice lengthwise, dispersing them around the veggies. Spoon dressing over, reserving extra for the table. Can be eaten hot, cold, or room temperature. 

Whoo! If you are at all drooling now that would be appropriate. Seriously, I'd love to hear your adventures with any of the recipes. :)

In other news, art director Jenny Barnes has made a gallery of my work here. She curates collections by artists and photographers around the world, all of them quite accomplished. I feel honored to be in such company. Thanks, Jenny!

News just confirmed - I will be teaching a workshop on food styling and photography, this October, with the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics! I'm over the moon with this.....to be able to share my knowledge and perspective with budding bloggers and photographers?? It really doesn't get any better! Look for me at the 2012 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, in Philadelphia. More on that soon....

And lastly, remember that there are three short days left to vote for my blog for Best Single Food Photo over at Saveur. Thank you all very much who have already registered your support and told your friends and loved ones! Even having placed as a finalist - after the editors at Saveur reviewed close to 40,000 submissions - is a wonderful accomplishment.  I hope you adore my work as much as I love creating it! Until soon. :-)

Happy Easter! Chag Pesach Sameach!

Look out for more from this feast, including recipes...... xxoo

Crock Pot Porchetta

When cooking is done right, there really isn't a more blissful experience than eating the fruits of that labor. My friend Kate had a party not too long ago for which she made all kinds of delectable food; one dish in particular had me returning for seconds and even thirds (perhaps a bit gluttonous, I agree). She described it as a slow-cooker version of porchetta.

Having visited the famous little nook that is Porchetta in the East Village just today, I can verify that the slow cooker version is exactly like the one I feasted on a few hours ago, but here, with the bones left in. When you experience for yourself just how juicy and flavorsome this tastes, I think you will agree every bit with my assertions. I welcome you to prove me wrong, in fact. You cannot mess this recipe up if you have a crock pot and sustainably sourced, good quality meat. And with the leftovers you will have, the gifts just keep on giving. ;)

I bought a bone-in (more flavor in the cooking with those bones left in) pork loin roast from Ottomanelli & Sons, one of the oldest family-run butchers here in New York. They have offered pastured and local prime meats for over 80 years. Go there. It is a wonderful experience and they are such sweet fellows (and will take great care of you!). After slathering it with the pureed herb-spice mixture (see recipe below), I simply popped the roast in my crock pot for a number of hours and tried to find distractions from being driven crazy by the intensely savory fragrance filling my home.

I had enough leftovers to last a few days (yippeeeee!). So, I made two types of sandwiches to see if either satisfied me more, and really, they both were outstanding. First, I pan fried thick slices of red onion in a cast iron skillet and sandwiched them with the pork between the heavenly signature semolina-golden raisin-fennel rolls from Amy's Bread. For the other, I toasted a seeded bun and slathered the buttery meat with the last of my homemade grain mustard, and served pickled watermelon rind to accompany the sandwich. Their crunchy texture and sour kick complemented the juicy meat quite nicely. If you find new variations for your delicious leftovers, I want to hear about it! So many options. So much flavor.