About the author: Denise D'silva Sankhe is a writer & creative director by profession. But that's only when she isn't eating her way across India. She recreates this delicious cuisine in her Mumbai home, which she shares with her newly-married husband, who has long since given up his determination to have salads for dinner.
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
serves serves 2, active time 30 minutes, total time 2 hours
Rub the lamb on all surfaces with the ginger/garlic paste and salt. Allow to rest while you make the masala paste, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
To Make the Masala: Preheat cast iron pan over high heat until smoking. Reduce heat to medium. add cinnamon, poppy seeds, chilis, coconut, coriander, cumin, and cloves. Cook, stirring and tossing constantly until fragrant, about two minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and allow to cool completely. Transfer to a blender, add onion and pulse, adding 1 cup of water in small increments until a smooth paste is formed.
Heat oil in the heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Reduce heat to medium-low and add masala paste. Cook, stirring constantly until oil separates, about 10 minutes. The oil should take on the red color of the masala at this stage. (Take care to stand out of the way, masala pastes splutter.)
Add the lamb pieces and potato and stir until coated with masala paste. Add 2 cups water, stir to combine, and season lightly with salt (broth will reduce, so do not overseason). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook, covered, until the lamb is completely tender, about an hour and a half. Season to taste with salt.
Garnish with a sprinkle of lime and the coriander leaves. Serve hot with a loaf of bread or white rice.
[Photograph: Michael Schrom]
Serving burgers with Hollandaise is one of those ideas that borders on mad scientist territory. Kind of insane but pure genius. These Lamb Burgers from Zakary Pelaccio's Eat with Your Hands take it a step further, using super fatty lamb to make the patties and serving them up with a duck egg Hollandaise and charred scallions dressed with salt and vinegar on fat English muffins.
And while beer might be the go-to burger drinks pairing, we're liking Pelaccio's Manhattan suggestion. You're going to need something boozy to cut through all of that lamby richness.
Recommended playlist and drinks pairing:
Listen: Michael Jackson, Thriller, to remind yourself how f-ing good that album is.
Drink: A Manhattan: Stir a two-to-one ratio rye to sweet vermouth (big surprise, I err slightly heavier on the rye) with ice. Strain into a chilled glass and add a couple dashes of Peychaud's bitters and a lemon twist.
What Worked: Everything. Charred lamb burgers, vinegary scallions, Hollandaise, and doughy English muffins are a match made in burger heaven.
What Didn't: No duck eggs on hand? No problem; chicken eggs make for a perfectly respectable Hollandaise.
Suggested Tweaks: Dare we suggest putting an egg on it?
Reprinted with permission from Eat with Your Hands by Zakary Pelaccio. Copyright © 2012. Published by Ecco. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
serves serves 4, active time 45 minutes, total time 45 minutes
Start a hardwood charcoal fire (or, fine, use a gas grill). Let it get nice and hot.
Season the ground lamb well with salt and pepper, using your hands to lightly work in the seasonings. Don’t overmix. Divide the meat into four balls and form each ball into a patty about 1 inch thick. Season them again on both sides with salt and pepper. If you’re going to grill within 30 minutes, leave the patties out. If not, cover and refrigerate them, then let them come to room temperature before you grill them.
Bring water to a simmer in a pot that will accommodate a double boiler or metal mixing bowl. Put the egg yolks in the double boiler or metal mixing bowl, whisk them to incorporate some air until they go from rich, deep yellow to a pale yellow and they’ve increased in volume. Add the mustard and a teaspoon of cold water and keep whisking.
Put the double boiler or bowl over the simmering water and start adding the butter, one piece at a time, whisking to incorporate completely before adding the next one. Once you’ve added all the butter, finish the sauce with a squeeze or three of the lemon and gradually add salt and pepper until it tastes really good. It should be rich, salty, and slightly acidic. If it is, congratulations, you just made Hollandaise. Cover with plastic wrap and put the double boiler or mixing bowl in a large bowl of warm water until you’re ready to use it.
Grill the burgers, flipping once, until medium-rare, about 8 minutes total. If the flame flares high around the burgers while you’re grilling, move them around a bit. You don’t want them to get too much color too quickly.
Toss the scallions in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill them until they’re slightly charred and tender, about 2 minutes a side. When they’re nicely charred and you’ve pulled them off the grill, chop them into big pieces and sprinkle them with some of your favorite vinegar and some more salt.
Toast the English muffins on the grill. Bun, burger, scallion. Big bowl o’ Mr. Holland’s daze (the egg sauce) on the side for dipping. Get excited, slap someone’s buns—anyone, no matter. Now you’re ready to eat.
[Photograph: Sydney Oland]
Note: The moussaka can be made up to a day in advance. Proceed with recipe just until the beginning of step 6 before you add the cheese sauce. Cover the partially-constructed casserole with plastic wrap and transfer cheese sauce to a sealed container. Refrigerate both for up to three days until ready to serve. When ready, reheat cheese sauce in microwave or on stove, pour over lamb mixture, and bake according to directions.
About the author: Sydney Oland lives in Somerville, Mass. Find more information at sydneyoland.com (or read eatingnosetotail.com)
Special equipment: 9- by 13-inch dish
serves Serves 8, active time 1 hour, total time 1 hour 45 minutes
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter the baking dish and scatter half the chopped onion along bottom. Toss the eggplant slices with salt and place in a colander. Let eggplant sit for 15 minutes, then rinse. Meanwhile, place peeled potato in a saucepan and cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until potato is just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain. When cool enough to handle slice into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices in bottom of baking dish.
Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and place on rack on a sheet tray and bake in at 375[°] oven for 15 minutes, or until eggplant begins to brown in spots. Layer eggplant over potato.
Begin lamb sauce while eggplant is roasting. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, when shimmering add remaining onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add ground lamb, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon. Add cinnamon, allspice and bay leaf and cook until lamb is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add red wine and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add can of tomatoes and simmer until tomatoes have begun to break down, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the Cheese Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once butter is fully melted add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until flour just begins to brown. Add milk slowly, whisking constantly until the flour is fully incorporated. Add grated parmesan cheese and cook until mixture just begins to bubble, then remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
In a bowl whisk together Greek yogurt and beaten egg. Once milk mixture has cooled to room temperature combine milk mixture with egg and yogurt and whisk until fully combined.
To Assemble:
Pour lamb mixture evenly over eggplant, then pour the cheese sauce over the lamb mixture. Place in oven and bake until moussaka begins to bubble and brown along the edges, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool ten minutes, then serve, garnished with chopped parsley.
About the author: Joshua Bousel brings you new, tasty condiment each Wednesday and a recipe for weekend grilling every Friday. He also writes about grilling and barbecue on his blog The Meatwave whenever he can be pulled away from his grill.
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
Special equipment: food processor, grill
serves serves 10, active time 15 minutes, total time 10 hours
Thinly slice 4 cloves of garlic. Spread lamb open on cutting board. Using tip of a paring knife, make 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb. Insert garlic slices into slits in lamb.
Combine remaining 4 cloves of garlic, mustard, olive oil, white wine, rosemary, and lemon juice in the workbowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarse puree forms.
Place lamb in a large shallow container and spread half of mustard mixture over top. Flip lamb and spread with remaining mustard mixture. Cover and let sit in refrigerator overnight.
Remove lamb from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before grilling, allowing to come to room temperature. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover gill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Grill lamb over high heat until well seared, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is seared and meat registers 130°F on an instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb, 8 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.
Adapted from Tender.
[Photograph: Blake Royer]
About the author: Blake Royer is a food writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Chicago; he has been writing for Serious Eats since 2007. You can follow him on Twitter @blakeroyer.
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
serves serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 50 minutes
Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, cover the cracked wheat with 1 cup boiling water, then set aside to swell. Put the grated cucumber in a colander set over a bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Allow it to drain for at least 15 minutes.
Combine the grated beets and onion in a large bowl. Add the ground lamb, garlic, dill, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze any excess water from the wheat and add it to the mixture. Mix well. Form the mixture into small meatballs about the size of a golf ball.
Squeeze the water from the cucumber and combine it with the mint, capers, and yogurt. Taste and season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat until shimmering. Add as many meatballs as can fit without crowding and brown them well on all sides, about 6 minutes total. As they finish, move them to a rimmed baking sheet. Once all meatballs are browned, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with the yogurt sauce.
[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]
This tagine is a mix of Moroccan flavor and an Italian Grandma's Sunday night comfort food. Big, tender balls of ground lamb stewed with shallots, cilantro, fresh mint, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, and ras-el-hanout--a spice blend kicked up with cumin, cinnamon, dried chilies, and rose petals, among many other things. The result is something hearty and comforting, but unfamiliar and exotic.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way.
serves serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 50 minutes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and milk until the milk is absorbed into the bread. Add the egg. Add 1 shallot, finely minced, 1 tablespoon chopped mint, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 1/2 teaspoons ras el hanout, the piment d’Espelette, and season with salt and pepper. Stir together until combined. Add the lamb, and gently toss together until evenly mixed. Divide the mixture into 8 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a plate with the flour, and dust on all sides. Reserve the excess flour.
In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium to medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the floured meatballs into the hot oil and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Set the meatballs aside, and lower the heat. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and sauté on medium-low for until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and carrot, and stir in the hot pan until you smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved flour, and toss to coat the vegetables in the flour. Add the tomato paste, the drained tomatoes, the beef broth, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of ras el hanout, and the raisins. Stir to combine, breaking up the whole tomatoes. Bring the liquid to a boil.
Add the meatballs back into the stew, and top with the remaining mint, cilantro, and olive oil. Place a lid on the pot, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. After half an hour, place the pot over medium heat, and boil until the sauce is very thick, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve with couscous tossed in Meyer lemon olive oil, or just serve with baguette.
[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]
Adapted from The Ethnic Paris Cookbook
serves serves 3 to 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 45 minutes
Add the sage leaves and dates to a food processor, and process until the finely chopped. Use a spatula to scrape down any bits that have stuck to the sides. Add the ground lamb, and process until it forms a slightly chunky paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the mixture into 10 balls. Mold each ball onto a skewer until it looks resembles a "flat sausage." (Note: Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes or use metal skewers if using an outdoor grill.)
Heat a cast-iron grill pan or a grill over medium heat. Add the skewered meat and cook until caramelized and completely cooked, about five minutes a side. Reduce heat to medium-low if the meat starts to burn.
Serve the skewers with pita and hummus.
[Photograph: Kelly Campbell]
As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Rustic Italian Food to give away this week.
By now we all know that brining does wonders for all sorts of proteins (we're looking at you, Thanksgiving turkey) but this Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder from Marc Vetri's Rustic Italian Food brings the salty soak to a whole new level.
By taking an already incredibly flavorful cut like lamb shoulder and giving it a three-day brine with rosemary and garlic, the end result is nothing short of mind-blowing.
Vetri's brine, roast, slice, and sear method leaves you with tender slices of lamb perfectly seasoned with undertones of rosemary and that singular lambiness, and a crunchy crust. Those vegetables in the bottom of the pan? Well, once the lamb is finished they have caramelized and soaked in all of those wonderfully meaty juices.
Why you should make this: Lamb shoulder is one of those tragically underutilized cuts that's not only flavorful but affordable on the scale of lamb pricing, and incredibly tasty to boot.
Next time we might think about: That bed of vegetables that the lamb bakes makes for a pretty incredible side. We're thinking about tossing some chunked potatoes in there next time around.
Reprinted with permission from Rustic Italian Food by Marc Vetri, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
serves makes 6 servings, active time 45 minutes, total time 4 hours 45 minutes plus 3 days brining time
Rosemary-Garlic Brine: Combine the 8 cups hot water, the salt, and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool. Chop the garlic and rosemary in a food processor or by hand.
Pour the 8 cups cold water into a small cooler, a tub, a clean heavy-duty trash bag, or another container just big enough to hold whatever it is you are brining. Pour in the cooled sugar/saltwater, the ice, and the chopped garlic and rosemary. The ice will melt as the brine sits.
Put a large, heavy-duty trash bag in a large bowl or tub (something large enough to hold the lamb) and carefully pour in the brine. Add the lamb and push it down until it is completely submerged. Press the air out of the bag, tie it closed, and put the container and bag in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Make a layer of the vegetable chunks on the bottom of a roasting pan that is large enough to fit the lamb. Pull the lamb from the brine and discard the brine. Place the lamb on the vegetables and roast until fork-tender, 4 to 5 hours. Let cool to room temperature.
Remove the cooled lamb to a cutting board and remove the bones. The lamb should be tender enough to pull the bones right out of the meat. Try to keep the sections of meat as whole as possible.
Slice the lamb sections into 1-inch-thick pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown the lamb pieces in the hot oil until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning occasionally. Serve the seared lamb pieces on a platter sprinkled with salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary leaves.
[Photograph: Max Falkowitz]
A Turkish-inspired dish with a ragu as complex as bolognese that can be made in a fraction of the time. The principal spice blend in the sauce is called janissary spice, the product of Turkish spice blender in Istanbul, but it's easy to replicate at home. Seek out maraş chiles, which are intensely sweet, not that hot, and carry the rich flavors of sun-warmed tomatoes with hints of red bell pepper for the blend. You can find them at Cambridge's Formaggio Kitchen and Oakland's Market Hall foods (both sell online as well). Easier-to-find aleppo makes a good, if not more tart and spicy substitute.
You've probably seen the "long hot" chiles called for in the recipe—that's their most common supermarket name. They look like this and are more pungent than spicy.
If you don't like the texture of baked eggplant, try blending your eggplant halves into a proto-babaganoush, or serve this sauce over rice pilaf with a sharp salad on the side.
serves serves 4, active time 15 minutes, total time 1 hour
For lamb and walnut sauce: Heat oil in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven on medium, then add onions, long hot peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Increase heat slightly and add janissary spice and 1/2 teaspoon cumin, stir to combine, and cook for 30 seconds. Add walnuts and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they begin to toast and brown.
Increase heat slightly, add some more olive oil if pan looks dry, and add lamb. Lamb should brown but not sear. Season with a couple generous pinches of salt, and break up large clumps with a wooden spoon and cook until lamb is lightly browned. Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 45 minutes, or until lamb is very tender. Before serving, check for seasoning and stir in pomegranate molasses and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cumin seed.
For baked eggplant: Heat oven to 375°F. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, leaving stems intact. Drizzle some olive oil on baking sheet. Season cut sides of eggplant with several pinches of salt, then place cut side down on baking sheet and spread oil to an even film. Season skin sides of eggplant and drizzle with more olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until skins are wrinkled and eggplant offers no resistance to a knife. Carefully flip eggplant over with tongs or a long, thin offset spatula, so cut sides point up. Broil until cut sides are well browned, just a couple minutes.
To serve, spread some lamb and walnut sauce on a serving platter. Arrange eggplant cut side up, then top with remaining sauce. Garnish with freshly chopped mint leaves.
For janissary spice: Combine chile and oregano in an airtight bag or jar. If using whole chiles, remove seeds before grinding. Add sumac in small increments; spice mix should not taste sour or tart, but should have a slight piquancy. Sweeter chiles will require more sumac than spicier varieties. Store tightly sealed in a cool, dark place. Recipe makes about 1/2 cup; use within 3 months.
[Photograph: Chichi Wang]
Special equipment: 10-inch skillet, one glass, ceramic, or enameled cast iron roasting pan, about 14 by 10 inches
serves serves 4 as a main course, active time 20 minutes, total time 3 hours 20 minutes
In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the spice rub and set aside.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil or lamb fat. Sauté the onions until they're softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
To assemble the braise: Cover the bottom of your pan with the sautéed onions and the apricots. Nestle the rack of ribs into the onions and apricots. Pour in enough water so that the ribs are 1/3 of the way submerged, about 2 cups. Cover the pan with foil.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 275°F. Braise the ribs in the oven until very tender, about 3 hours. Uncover the pan and turn the heat to 375°F. Continue braising until the fat on the surface is browned and the onions are very brown, about 30 minutes longer. Pour off the rendered lamb fat in the pan, setting it aside for another use.
Serve hot or warm. Leftovers may be reheated in a 250°F oven until warm, about 30 minutes.
In my opinion, the best way to make sure your lamb is cooked to perfection is taking its temperature with a calibrated thermometer and letting it rest. Around 10 minutes seems to be a good resting time for an average-sized rack of lamb. A few roasted potatoes and a light red wine and a spectacular Sunday supper is sitting on your table in no time flat.
Special equipment: Roasting pan
serves Serves 4, active time 10 minutes, total time 40 minutes
Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine breadcrumbs and chopped rosemary then season with salt and pepper. Spread mustard on fat cap of lamb rack, then press breadcrumb mixture evenly over mustard.
Place tomatoes and rosemary sprigs in baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place lamb, breadcrumb side up, over tomatoes; then place rack in oven. Roast until internal temperature reaches 125°F, then rest for 10 minutes for medium rare. Serve with light red wine and crusty bread.
[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way.
serves serves 4, active time 15 minutes, total time 2 hours and 15 minutes
Season the lamb liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a high-sided sauté pan until it shimmers. Brown the meat on all sides.
Set the meat aside, and lower the heat to low. Carefully add the sliced onions, and sauté on very low heat for 20 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelized. Season the onions with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and cook off for 2 minutes. Add the stock, garlic, prunes, and lamb to the pan. Bring the broth to a boil, then lower the heat to low, and cook, covered, on the lowest heat for 2 hours. Serve piping hot, with torn fresh leaves of parsley and mint over the top, with Dauphinoise or couscous on the side.
[Photograph: Sydney Oland]
Editor's note: Each Saturday afternoon we bring you a Sunday Supper recipe. Why on Saturday? So you have time to shop and prepare for tomorrow.
A simple casserole for a Sunday afternoon, the Lancashire hotpot is a lamb stew baked with sliced potatoes. Traditional recipes often include kidneys, blood sausage, or both; this version uses kidneys. If you choose to omit them, add a few more chunks of lamb. A dark bitter ale and maybe a few steamed Brussels sprouts round out this comforting fall supper.
About the author: Sydney Oland lives in Somerville, Mass. Find more information at www.sydneyoland.com (or read www.eatingnosetotail.com)
Special equipment: large skillet, and dutch oven with lid
serves Serves 4 hungry people, active time 30 minutes, total time 2 hours
Dust kidneys with flour. Melt butter in large skillet, then fry kidneys until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Once kidneys are brown, remove from pan and add a large swirl of vegetable oil; sear stewing meat in batches until brown on all sides and reserve. Add garlic, carrot, celery, onion and thyme to the pan, and cook until vegetables begin soften, scarping brown bits from bottom of the pan, about 6 minutes. Add beef stock and bring to a simmer, then turn to low while you prepare baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place half the potatoes in an overlapping pattern on the bottom of a large ovenproof baking dish with a tight fitting lid. Pour stew over the potatoes, and top with the rest of the sliced potatoes in an overlapping pattern. Cover with lid and place in the oven until potatoes are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and dot with bits of butter. Turn oven to broil and brown potatoes until deep golden; allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with a large glass of brown ale.
[Photograph: Quentin Bacon]
This recipe for Lamb Chili with Chickpeas and Raita from Andrew Carmellini's American Flavor brings together two perfect winter warmers: meaty chili and lamb simmered with Indian spices. Served over aromatic basmati rice with a cool and tart cucumber raita, this chili is fusion in the most seamless of ways, blending the heartiness and spice of an American chili with subtle Indian spices, delicate coconut milk, and nutty little chickpeas.
The lamb here with its unique, light gaminess lends a deepness of flavor that you rarely get with beef chili but after testing out a batch, we're thinking this would make bang-up vegetarian chili as well.
As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of American Flavor to give away this week.
Adapted from American Flavor by Andrew Carmellini. Copyright © 2011. Published by Ecco. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved
serves serves 4 to 6, active time 45 minutes, total time 3 hours
To make the Raita: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, and then cut each piece in half widthwise. Use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds.
Using a box grater or a large flat grater, grate the cucumber into a bowl. Tip the bowl over the sink, holding the cucumber in with your hand or with a plate, and drain out the excess cucumber water.
Squeeze the lemon juice into the cucumber, using your hand as a filter to catch any seeds. Add the yogurt and mix everything together.
Add the mint, salt, cumin, and cayenne, and mix gently.
Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge. The raita should be served cold.
To make the Chili: Heat the corn oil in a large saucepot over medium-high heat. Use your hands to break the ground lamb into small pieces; then add the meat to the pot. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes; use a wooden spoon to keep breaking the meat up, chopping it and stirring it constantly so that it browns evenly without clumping up.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the red onion, ginger, garlic, garam masala, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together so the meat is well coated in the spices and the oil, and then toast the mixture for a minute or so, until the spices release their flavor and aroma.
Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, broth, and bell pepper. Mix everything together, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the chili up to a simmer. Then let it cook, uncovered, at a low bubble, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick.
When the chili has been cooking for an hour and a half, stir in the chickpeas, and cook for another hour, until the chili has thickened and the flavors are rich and well combined.
To finish the dish: Ladle the chili into individual bowls, and add a spoonful of the cold raita and a sprinkling of the fresh cilantro to each one. Serve the chili up right away, with basmati rice and cold beer.
[Photograph: John Kernick]
One look at this recipe for Soy-Braised Lamb Shanks and it's clear that they're from Jean-Georges Vongerichten: you've got your French technique, your palate of Asian ingredients, and even a splash of Gewürztraminer, a wine indigenous to Vongerichten's birthplace, Alsace.
Adapted from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges, these long braised shanks balance meaty savoriness with a bright acidity from lemongrass, champagne vinegar, chiles, Asian pears, and Gewürztraminer, taking them worlds away from your usual cold weather braise. Vongerichten likes to take this brightness a step further by serving the lamb shanks with a crisp-spicy salad of green apples and celery dressed with a bracing jalapeño purée.
As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Home Cooking with Jean-Georges to give away this week.
Adapted from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Copyright © 2011. Published by Clarkson Potter. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved
serves 4, active time 40 minutes, total time 4 hours 15 minutes
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat until very hot. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan and heat until almost smoking. Carefully slide in the lamb shanks in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn on another side and continue cooking and turning to evenly brown all sides and the top, about 8 minutes longer. Drain all of the fat from the pan.
Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan and heat until shimmering. Stir in the onions, shallots, and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the onion mixture to the pan with the lamb, along with the pears, scallions, lemongrass, ginger, chile, anise, wine, vinegar, soy sauce, and honey. Add enough water to cover the lamb by ½ inch.
Cover and bring to a boil. Transfer to the oven and braise until the meat is completely tender and falling off the bone, about 3½ hours. Uncover and carefully transfer the lamb shanks to a dish. Raise the oven temperature to 375°F.
Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Bring to a boil and continue to boil over high heat until reduced by a third.
Return the shanks to the Dutch oven, meat side down, and pour the reduced liquid over them. Transfer to the oven and cook, basting every 5 minutes, until lacquered with a mahogany glaze, about 15 minutes. There should still be syrupy sauce left in the pan.
Serve the lamb shanks with the sauce spooned over the meat.