Herb Steamed Lamb Recipes

RACK OF LAMB WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Steps:

• Brown lamb:
• Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until hot, at least 2 minutes. Meanwhile, pat lamb dry and rub meat all over with salt and pepper. Add oil to hot skillet, then brown racks, in 2 batches if necessary, on all sides (not ends), about 10 minutes per batch.
• Transfer racks to a small (13- by 9-inch) roasting pan.
• Coat and roast lamb:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir together garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, and oil. Coat meaty parts of lamb with herb mixture, pressing to help adhere. Roast 15 minutes, then cover lamb loosely with foil and roast until thermometer inserted diagonally into center of meat registers 120°F, 5 to 10 minutes more. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. (Internal temperature will rise to 125 to 130°F for medium-rare while lamb stands.)
• Cut each rack into 4 double chops.

HERB-ROASTED LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven so the lamb will sit in the middle of the oven.
• Peel 6 of the cloves of garlic and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and butter. Process until the garlic and rosemary are finely minced. Thoroughly coat the top and sides of the lamb with the rosemary mixture. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Toss the potatoes and remaining unpeeled garlic in a bowl with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees F and roast for another 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until a meat thermometer registers 130 to 135 degrees F for medium-rare. Place the lamb on a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes.

HERB-CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, parsley, thyme and garlic. Add oil and toss; set aside. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown meat on both sides. Brush mustard over top of meat, then roll in crumb mixture., Place racks in a shallow baking pan side by side with bones interlaced resting against each other. Bake 30-40 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

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.

HUMMUS BOWLS WITH SPICED LAMB

Steps:

• Bring the chickpeas and their liquid to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Drain, reserving the liquid. Set aside 1/4 cup chickpeas for topping. Process the remaining chickpeas in a food processor with 1/2 cup chickpea liquid, the tahini, half of the garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon each cumin and salt to make a silky puree, scraping down the sides as needed, 2 to 3 minutes. If the hummus is too thick, add more chickpea liquid 1 tablespoon at a time; season with salt.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons drippings. Stir in the remaining garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, the paprika, cinnamon and allspice; cook, stirring, until toasted, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and half of the herbs.
• Divide the hummus among bowls. Top with the lamb mixture, the reserved chickpeas, remaining herbs and a light drizzle of olive oil. Serve with pita and cucumber salad.

SPICED LAMB WITH LEMON & HERB QUINOA

Steps:

• In a pestle with a mortar crush the cumin seeds then add the garlic clove, chilli and some salt and pepper. Mash to a paste. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil and pour half the mix over the lamb chops and leave to marinate. Set the other half aside.
• Rinse the quinoa in cold water then place in a saucepan with twice the volume of water. Place on the heat and bring to the boil then turn down the heat slightly and boil gently for 10 mins. Turn the heat off and stir through the reserved dressing. Cover and leave for another 10 mins.
• Meanwhile heat a griddle pan or grill to high and cook the lamb for about 3-5 mins on each side or until cooked to your liking. When ready to serve stir the spring onions and coriander through the quinoa and serve with the lamb and steamed stem broccoli dressed in a drizzle more oil.

ROAST LAMB WITH SPRING HERB CRUMBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. For the lamb, scatter the vegetables, bay leaves and a few rosemary sprigs into a large roasting tin and drizzle with the olive oil. Use a sharp knife to make little slits all over the lamb. Poke a slice of garlic and a small sprig of rosemary into each one. Sit the lamb on top of the veg in the roasting tin, add a splash of wine, then cook for 2 hrs if you like it pink, or 2 hrs 15 mins for cooked through. Remove from the oven, transfer to a board and cover with foil, then rest for 45 mins-1 hr.
• To make the gravy, pour off most of the fat from the tin but leave the veg and any meat juices. Place the tin on the heat to caramelise the veg, then stir in the flour and cook to a paste. Gradually stir in the wine, cook for a min, then stir in the stock and simmer until you have a tasty gravy. Push the gravy through a sieve into a small pan and keep warm.
• Turn oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. For the crumbs, blitz everything in a food processor and scatter over a tray. Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins until crisp, then re-blitz or break up with your fingers to crumbs again. These can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container for 2 days. Serve the lamb carved into slices, sprinkled with crumbs and a jug of gravy alongside.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB WITH HERB SALT

Steps:

• Cutting along seams where lamb leg naturally separates, portion into 4 large pieces, trimming any excess fat and sinew.
• Rub lamb with oil and Herb Salt. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.
• Prepare a grill for high heat. Grill lamb, turning often, until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer registers 130°, 20-30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain and serve with Anchovy Mayonnaise.
• Do ahead: Lamb can be seasoned 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

PERSIAN HERB, RED BEAN & LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Put the dried red kidney beans in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 1 hr.
• Heat a flameproof casserole over a medium-low heat for a few minutes before adding 2 tbsp oil. Season the lamb and sear on all sides until golden brown, then remove to a plate. Fry the onions over a low heat for 8-10 mins until soft and translucent.
• Drain and rinse the soaked kidney beans, then add them to the onions along with the turmeric and dried limes. Stir to coat in the spiced oil, then return the lamb to the casserole. Pour over 1 litre water, or enough to cover the lamb, and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, then turn down to a simmer. Leave the lamb to gently braise for 1 hr.
• Put the coriander and parsley in a food processor and blitz to chop finely (you can also do this by hand, but the finer the herbs, the better the stew's flavour and consistency).
• In a separate frying pan over a medium heat, fry the leeks in the remaining 1 tbsp oil for 6-8 mins until softened. Stir in the fenugreek leaves, blitzed herbs and chives - it is sometimes easier to add these in batches. Fry for 5 mins until the herbs are dark green (this removes moisture and deepens the flavour).
• Once the lamb has braised for 1 hr, add the leek and herb mixture along with 250-500ml hot water to loosen, stirring well. Braise for a further 2 hrs, or until the lamb is completely tender and falling off the bone. Add a dash of hot water to loosen if the sauce has thickened too much - I prefer it to be almost broth-like, but that is personal preference. Season to taste (a good pinch or two of sea salt is essential) and, depending on the acidity from the dried limes, add a squeeze of lime juice for a fresh finish.

HERB-ROASTED LAMB RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix wine, oil, garlic, herbs and seasonings. Pour over lamb in large resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight to marinate, turning occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove lamb from marinade; discard marinade. Place lamb on rack in roasting pan.
• Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour or until meat thermometer reaches 160°F (medium). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

MUSTARD AND HERB CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Stir together bread crumbs, parsley, mint, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then drizzle with 2 1/2 tablespoons oil and toss until combined well.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 400°F.
• Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb 1 rack at a time, turning once, about 4 minutes per rack. Transfer to a 13- by 9- by 2-inch roasting pan, arranging fatty sides up.
• Spread fatty sides of each rack with 2 teaspoons mustard. Divide bread crumb mixture into 3 portions and pat each portion over mustard coating on each rack, gently pressing to adhere.
• Roast lamb until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center (do not touch bone) registers 130°F (for medium-rare), 20 to 25 minutes, and transfer to a cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut into chops.