Shepherd's Pie

OK, so it's back to my roots for this one. Had a lamb leg roast the other night, resulting in... leftover roast lamb. For some reason it didn't occur to me at first (maybe I have lost some of my English...), but the perfect use for leftover roast lamb is... Shepherd's Pie! For those of you rubbing your heads thinking 'lamb?' yes, Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with lamb. Think about it... Not beef - that would be a 'cottage pie'.

This recipe is an amalgam of a few different ones, with a couple of adjustments of my own. It is not completely authentic, but it is good.

Start by boiling your potatoes for the mash. My pie was baked in a 9x5 inch pyrex loaf pan. I used between 1-1.5lb potatoes. I ended up with a thicker layer of mash than I needed so I would suggest that 1 lb potatoes is plenty for this recipe. I would recommend russets or chef potatoes (or any other kind of 'floury' potato). Peel them, cut them into roughly even-sized chunks and boil in salted water until cooked through. Drain in a colander, and allow to sit for a few minutes to lose some moisture. As they are sitting, heat up 1/4 -1/2 cup cream or milk until hot, and cut into small pieces 2 tbsp butter. Either mash your potatoes with a hand-held masher (or fork) - this will result in a chunky mash - or push through a food mill - this will result in a smooth mash. Incorporate your cream or milk, butter and a little salt and pepper to taste. I also stirred in a small amount of grated cheddar.

While the potatoes are boiling, you can make your filling. Chop your leftover roast lamb (I used about 10 oz, but the amount does not have to be precise) into pea-sized chunks and set aside. Chop 1 onion finely, and sweat in vegetable oil with 1 clove of garlic, minced and 1 carrot, peeled and diced very small. Add a little salt and cook gently until the carrot is soft. Add the lamb, turn up the heat a little, and make sure it browns all over. Stir in any leftover gravy or stock from your roast (or use water), 1/4 cup wine (I used white, but red is even better), 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 - 1/2 cup frozen corn. Simmer until the liquid thickens a little and develops a nice flavor (add salt and pepper as needed). Tip into the bottom of your pie dish.

Spread your mash over your filling. Rough up the surface with a fork and cut up 1 tbsp butter into 'dots', sprinkling them over the top. Either bake now at 450 F for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the mash browned, or refrigerate and bake later, at the same temperature, but for longer - up to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Note - Metric Info: 9 in = 23cm; 5 in = 13cm; 1 lb  = 450g; 1/4 cup = 60ml; 1/2 cup = 120ml; 450 F = 230 C.

Goat cheese ravioli with a tomato sausage sauce

Served with broccolini (the sauce is underneath)

Haven't made pasta at home in a while, so I figured it was time to get back into it. My significant other loves goat cheese, and the sausage was something we had in the freezer that we felt like eating. Everything else just came together.

If you do not have a pasta roller of some description (either a hand-crank model, which I have, or a motorized one - you can get one that will attach to a Kitchenaid mixer), you will probably find it easier to purchase dumpling wrappers (try Nasoya brand, in the cooler near the tofu in most supermarkets).

To make the pasta dough, put 3/4 cup durum (semolina) flour (see notes if you cannot find this) and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour into a food processor with the blade attachment. Add 1 tsp salt and pulse briefly to mix. Add 2 eggs and 3 tbsp olive oil. Pulse until a firm dough forms. You may need to add a tablespoon or so of water to get it to come together. Remove the dough from the machine and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to 'rest' at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, start your sauce: Cut 2 small shallots into small dice and put in a medium saute pan with a little olive oil and some butter. Cook gently for a few minutes, then add 2 sweet Italian sausage links, cut into small pieces (we had some great lamb sausage from Willow Hill Farm, VT) and saute until well-browned. Add 1 garlic clove, minced, allow to almost color, and then add 3 fresh roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped. Increase the heat and allow the tomatoes to cook down into the sauce. Reduce the heat and continue until the sausage is cooked through. Add a little fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste. Set the pan aside.

Once the pasta has rested, remove the plastic wrap and cut the dough in half. Rewrap one half and refrigerate (you can use it to make a second batch of ravioli with a different filling, or some lasagna or noodles). Take the other half and roll with your pasta roller all the way to the thinnest setting (expect to end up with a few long pieces - you will probably have to cut it a few times). Dust the pieces of rolled-out dough with flour and, using a round cookie cutter or an upturned glass, cut rounds of dough. Set them out on a well-floured counter (or, if you are using dumpling wrappers, remove them from the packet and set out on a floured counter...) and quickly make the filling: Take 4 oz fresh goat cheese (I used Vermont Butter and Cheese chevre) and season with a little salt and pepper. Spoon small dollops of filling onto your rounds of dough, then wet your finger with a little water, trace around half the circle, and fold over carefully to form a half-moon, with the filling inside. Repeat with the rest of your filling. Dust your ravioli with flour and set aside.

Boil some salted water. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the ravioli and wait until they float, then cook for a minute or so longer. Remove with a slotted spoon or pour carefully through a strainer. Meanwhile, reheat your sauce with a little butter. Serve the ravioli with the sauce, plus a vegetable if you wish. We had broccolini with ours. Enjoy!

This recipe should be good for 3-4 adults, although if they are hungry, you might want to double the sauce.

Note 1 - If you do not have access to durum/semolina flour, you can use 100% all-purpose flour. You may need to adjust the consistency with a little water to get a smooth dough.

Note 2 - You can make the ravioli any shape you like. For instance, if you are using square wonton wrappers, you can make rectangular ones - just fold in half over the filling.

Note 3 - Any kind of savory sausage could work here, and it need not be lamb.

Note 4 - If you do not have fresh roma tomatoes, you can use canned plum tomatoes. Don't add too much of the sauce from the can.

Note 5 - Metric info: 3/4 cup = 180 ml; 4 oz = 110 g.

Braised Lamb Shanks

We made this at work yesterday. Braising is one of the easiest ways to cook - just a few simple steps, then set it and forget it. It is an awesome technique for any meat that requires long low and slow cooking - the kind that would be tough if you just roasted it.
Anyway, the steps for a basic braise are:

1. Season (heavily, with salt and pepper) and sear the meat over a high heat - this is best done in the pan in which you will be braising the meat. Get the pan hot. Add a little oil and then the meat. Do not crowd the pan and do not move the meat until it is well browned. At that point, roll it to brown the other sides. Once the meat is browned, remove it from the pan and set aside.
2. Turn the heat down to medium, pour off most of the fat in the pan (discard) and add vegetables. The usual suspects are carrots, celery and onion (in a 1:1:2 ratio), cut into a 'dice' - good sized cubes, no need for accurate cutting here - the culinary term for this mix is 'mirepoix'. Cook the vegetables in the oil until browned.
3. Add a small amount of liquid to the pan and scrape the bottom while heating - this is called 'deglazing'. Most often the liquid is wine, but water or stock could also be used. Deglazing removes and dissolves the brown stuff on the bottom of the pan (culinary term: fond), which improves the flavor of the braising liquid and ultimately your meat.
4. Return the meat to the pan, then add more liquid (to just cover the meat) and suitable flavorings. This liquid could be stock water, wine or beer, and the flavorings usually include herbs and spices. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer. Cover and either keep on a very low heat on the stovetop, or (if your pan is oven-safe) place in a 300-325F oven.
5. Allow the braise to simmer until the meat is tender and falls away from the bone. The amount of time depends on the type and size of the meat, and usually is in the region of 1.5-4 hours.

So, returning to the lamb shanks. I usually deglaze with red wine, and then add lamb stock or the liquid from the last braise (if you have either - at work we braised several batches so we were able to reuse the braising liquid for the second batch), or water. For flavorings, I like to use lemon zest, black peppercorns (whole) and rosemary, and a bay leaf. I also add salt to my braising liquid (if you intend to reduce it later, be very sparing with the salt). I prefer to braise in the oven (it maintains a low simmer more effectively - boiling is bad for a braise), and I start checking the shanks after 3 hours.

Once your lamb shanks are braised, you can serve them over a suitable starch. Mashed potatoes are simple and soak up the braising liquid nicely. You can either serve the braising liquid as it is (but be aware - it will be fatty!), or you can thicken it a little (e.g. with roux - melt some butter in a pan, add an equal volume of flour and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Add to the sauce over the heat and stir with a whisk while bringing to a simmer. Simmer a few min.). The other option, if you are able to cook them the day before, is to remove the shanks from the braising liquid when done, strain the vegetables from the liquid (use your finest strainer), allow it to cool at room temperature for an hour or so, then chill it in the refrigerator. The next day, you'll be able to scrape the fat off the top of the braising liquid (this can be discarded). Reserve some of the liquid to reheat the shanks in (enough to cover them in a small pan), and reduce the rest - that is, bring to a boil and allow to boil until enough water evaporates so that it thickens a little. Taste and season carefully if necessary. Reheat the shanks gently in the reserved braising liquid and serve over the mashers with the reduced sauce.

The general technique for braising can be used for other meats. When I cook beef short ribs, I use mirepoix, red wine, beef stock, bay leaf, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and thyme as a base and braise for 4 hrs. Other examples of braises are Coq au Vin, Irish Beef Stew and Beef Burgundy.

Moroccan Lamb Soup

The other night I attempted a recipe from the cookbook 'Artichoke to Za'atar' by Greg and Lucy Malouf - 'North African Couscous Soup'. Great cookbook on Middle Eastern food by the way...

The first step is to soak chickpeas in water the night before starting the recipe. The following day, start by searing chunks of lamb stewing meat in olive oil. Remove and set aside. Sweat diced onion until soft, then add garlic (crushed with salt - use the side of your knife blade), cumin (toasted and ground) and coriander seed (also toasted and ground), a little allspice, chili powder and paprika. Saute for a couple of minutes, then return the lamb to the pan and add crushed tomatoes, a little honey and a jalapeno pepper (deseeded and shredded), followed by chicken broth, water and chickpeas. Simmer until the chickpeas are cooked through and the lamb is tender. When almost ready to serve, add couscous, stir and cover, and allow to sit a few minutes to cook through. Finish with plain yogurt, fresh parsley and mint, lemon juice and pita bread.

It didn't turn out perfectly. My chickpeas could have used a little longer, and the soup was a little gritty. I think this was due to the fact that I ground the seeds roughly with a mortar and pestle - they probably would have benefited from being put through a sieve (or from the use of an electric grinder, which I have yet to buy). I also was unable to find fresh mint at my local Weis supermarket, and so I added dried mint at the beginning of the simmer. Not as good but at least there was some mint flavor. The lamb came out very tender (I simmered for about an hour and a half) and the liquid had a nice flavor, although I would have liked more heat.

Note that soaking the chickpeas the night before is not strictly necessary. However, they will take a lot longer to cook if you do not do this. You can begin them in salted water (the notion that you should not cook beans in salted water because they will toughen is a myth, according to food science legend Harold McGee - see 'On Food and Cooking') at least an hour before starting the recipe.

Next time I think I would like to try this recipe as a stew, with less liquid, and served over the couscous instead.