My life is on speed spin. There hasn’t been much time for cooking. There’s been even less time for blogging. Since my trip to Madrid late February, I’ve spent 4 days in Mexico, and then 3 days in Port Lucaya on the island of Grand Bahama. Once back, I learned my job (yes… I’m a lawyer by day) was in serious jeopardy because of cuts in my clients’ funding that resulted in projects grinding to an immediate halt.
After a week of non-stop phone calls, resume mailings, and reaching out to clients, I was ready to unwind and let loose where I let loose best – my kitchen. And so, despite a restless night Friday, it was up early on Saturday and off to the market where I found the hallmark of spring freshness – gorgeous young lamb. With my sous chef in tow eating his favorite sticky buns, we crafted a menu: Lamb infused with Herb and Country Mustard flavors, mashed potatoes flavored with roasted leeks and garlic, and shredded Brussels sprouts with crisped pancetta and maple glazed pine nuts. Oh, and to start, I decided to whip up a little bruschetta – thinking of the sweet corn I had frozen a short while back. Nothing like fresh red and yellow peppers mixed with plum tomatoes, seasoned with finely minced garlic and shallots, and dressed with a delicious syrupy aged balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a chiffonade of basil and fresh parmesan reggiano.
I adapted the recipe for the lamb from one by chef and cookbook author Susan Herrmann Loomis. Her recipe appears in April’s edition of Cooking Light magazine. The Brussels sprouts are from Gourmet, and well… mashed potatoes, I guess are from my Mom – I just roasted the leeks and the garlic and then mashed them in. Easy, straightforward. But the flavors? Amazing.
The fresh herbs – rosemary, sage, parsley and thyme mixed with garlic and sea salt – macerate the lamb with flavor under a coating of country styled Dijon mustard. The mustard keeps the moisture locked in the lamb; the herbs and seasonings fill the succulent meat with a subtle flavor, but the aroma they give off is a marvelous part of the experience.
For those that don’t like Brussels sprouts, don’t turn your nose up at them until you prepare them shredded. Shredding allows you to sauté them quickly, which keeps them crisp tender, but keeps at bay the bitter, sulfur flavor that comes with extended cooking. Delicious – especially when combined with the crisp salty bite of the pancetta and the sweet and tangy contrast of the maple glazed nuts and shot of cider vinegar.
The first bottle opened was one I brought back from Spain – a red wine from Priorat – a region becoming better known for its outstanding winemaking. Scala Dei, Negre 1998, is made from 100% Garnacha, otherwise known as Grenache in France.
Garnacha Tinta, the most widely planted grape in Spain, with dark skin and light flesh, was traditionally used as backbone filler to other nobler grapes such as Tempranillo. It can be used for Rosado or Red wines where the acidity is usually quite low and the grape can provide very high alcohol levels. In Priorat, the regions best winemakers including Scala Dei, where the "Negre Scala-Dei" is made are using Garnacha.
The Negre is beautiful in color appearing somewhere between ruby and violet. The fine nose suggests a medium to full body wine, but instead, the Negre is light, but styled. Unpretentious like a bold Sangiovese, its flavors are reminiscent of juicy cherries and a sweet note of strawberries. It’s an enjoyable and easy drinking wine, somewhere between the elegance of a Pinot Noir and the gaiety of a Grenache. Truly excellent in its style, I say stockpile this wine for those red-wine moments of spring and summer.
When the Negre was done, my sous chef emerged from his wine cellar with a red Tuscan table wine, which we both agreed would be a far better match for the lamb.
The 1998 Felciaia, from the magnificent winery Villa la Selva in Tuscany is made from the first selection of Sangiovese grapes from the vineyards. A Best Buy, according to Wine Spectator, this wine is full-bodied and absolutely delightful. It has a velvety feel in the mouth and a long – but not tannic – finish, which when enjoyed with the tender, herb macerated lamb, was sheer gourmand pleasure.
Herb Infused Leg of Lamb
Adapted from a recipe by Susan Herrmann Loomis appearing in Cooking Light, April 2004.
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1/4 flat leaf parsley chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 2 1/2 pound boneless leg of lamb, tied to secure roast
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup Country-styled Dijon mustard
3 rosemary sprigs
1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup water
1. Combine the first 6 ingredients, stirring well. Cut 10, 1/2 inch deep slits in the surface of the roast; stuff herb mixture into the slits. Sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper. Brush mustard over roast. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, or up to 12 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.
3. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan. Place 3 rosemary sprigs on top of the roast and bake at 425 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 145 degrees for medium-rare. Discard rosemary. Let roast stand 20 minutes before slicing; tent with aluminum foil.
4. Combine broth, wine and water, add to roasting pan. Cook over medium heat; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen the browned bits. Cook until the mixture thickens slighty and is reduced by about half.
5. Slice roast, serve with sauce.
8:56:35 PM 
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