On the Lamb : Wild Thing!

During World War II, meat was strictly rationed and beefsteaks were few and far between. That is, beef was rationed; lamb wasn’t. The government couldn’t seriously claim Our Boys at the Front were crying out for lamb.

No question about it, Americans are just not big lamb eaters. But having spent my earliest childhood eating those non-rationed wartime lamb chops, I am, and I will take a sweet little lamb chop, or a skewer of shishkebab crusty with herbs--or, for that matter, a plate of moussaka or curry or Irish stew--over most of the steaks I’ve ever had.

After the war, my mother kept serving lamb from time to time, usually as a mild and faintly British Sunday dinner of leg of lamb with peas and mashed potatoes. Some people continue to think of lamb as a gentle, springtime sort of meat. True enough, it is the flesh of an immature animal and mildly flavored by comparison with mutton (which most Americans seem afraid to try, too bad for them), but to me, lamb is basically wild .

Beef is a rich, basically domestic sort of meat that goes with carrots, bay and thyme. Lamb has an austere taste by comparison, but it also has an evocative, expansive, outdoorsy flavor that goes with all sorts of things beef scarcely knows what to do with--eggplant, artichokes, olives, lemon, yogurt. Above all, lamb goes superbly well with herbs, especially the louder herbs such as mint, oregano, rosemary and basil. And lamb and garlic were meant for each other from the beginning of time.

Lamb does have one big disadvantage (apart from being more expensive than beef): its fat has a high melting point. If a dish isn’t going to be piping hot right down to the last bite, you have to remove every bit of fat you can or a scum of lamb fat will congeal on your teeth and on the roof of your mouth. Serving lamb lean is an aesthetic as well as a health consideration.

This is traditionally the time of year when spring lamb comes on the market; it’s also the season when lamb appears as the main course at many Easter and Passover dinners. But there’s a lot you can do with lamb besides roasting the leg.

In “French Country Cooking,” Elizabeth David writes, “This is a ragout of lamb or mutton to which spring vegetables give special character.” To be more precise, it has an irresistible, spring-like quality of innocent charm. David observes that the liquid should be neither very thick nor very thin when the stew is done, but about the consistency of a cream soup.

NAVARIN PRINTANIER (Lamb Stew) 2 to 3 tablespoons butter 3 small onions, diced 1 (2- to 3-pound) shoulder or breast of lamb, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tablespoons flour 2 1/3 to 2 1/2 cups chicken stock Salt, pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons ground rosemary 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 bay leaf 1 pound new potatoes 6 small carrots, peeled and sliced 2 medium turnips, peeled and cut in chunks 1 1/2 pounds frozen small peas, or freshly shelled peas

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and meat and cook until meat and onions are golden. Remove and set aside.

Stir flour into butter remaining in skillet and keep stirring over medium heat until golden brown. Add stock and stir until smooth. Return meat to skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add rosemary, garlic and bay leaf. Simmer, covered, until meat is nearly cooked, about 1 hour.

Add potatoes, carrots and turnips. Simmer another 35 to 40 minutes. Then add peas and cook until done, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 403 calories; 575 mg sodium; 85 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 33 grams protein; 3.58 grams fiber.

From “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume II” by Julia Child, impressive haute cuisine treatment of an often overlooked cut. The sauce is wonderful.

EPAULE D’AGNEAU FARCIE, VIROFLAY (Stuffed Lamb Shoulder) 1 1/2 cups cooked spinach or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions 3 large cloves garlic Salt, pepper Mushroom Duxelles 1/2 cup stale bread crumbs 2 1/4 cups chicken stock or bouillon 2/3 cup finely diced ham fat, fresh pork fat or blanched bacon 1 egg 8 to 10 large basil leaves, minced 1 (5- to 6-pound) shoulder of lamb, boned, reserve bones 2 to 3 tablespoons rendered pork fat or vegetable oil 1 large onion, sliced 1 large carrot, sliced 1 cup dry white wine Chicken stock 6 sprigs parsley 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons dry white wine or chicken stock

Take handful of spinach and squeeze out all water. Repeat with rest of spinach. Finely chop spinach. In skillet melt butter over moderately high heat. Stir in shallots and cook 1 minute. Crush 1 clove garlic and stir garlic and spinach into shallots and cook, stirring, until remaining spinach liquid is evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. When spinach begins to stick to bottom of pan, remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add to bowl with Mushroom Duxelles.

Soften bread crumbs with stock and let stand several minutes. Beat pork fat and egg into spinach mixture. Add basil and combine. Squeeze excess liquid out of bread crumbs and beat into mixture.

Spread boned shoulder on kitchen board, skin side down. Tuck stuffing into pockets left by bones and pile rest of stuffing in loaf shape down center of meat. Sew or skewer edges of meat together to enclose stuffing completely (do not overfill). Tie into sausage shape with loops of kitchen string at 1-inch intervals.

Dry lamb with paper towels. Heat rendered fat in casserole until very hot but not smoking. Add bones, onion and carrot and saute over moderately high heat 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned. Remove bones, onion and carrot with slotted spoon. Set lamb in casserole, seam side down, and brown several minutes, lifting occasionally with spoon to prevent sticking.

When lamb is browned on all sides and both ends, place browned bones, onion and carrot around lamb. Add wine and enough stock to come 2/3 way up lamb. Tie parsley, bay leaf, thyme and 2 cloves garlic in piece of cheesecloth and bury in liquid. Bring lamb casserole to simmer, cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees, about 2 1/2 hours. Turn lamb several times during cooking and baste with liquid. Lamb is done when fork will pierce it fairly easily.

Remove lamb to hot platter and cover with foil. Strain braising liquid into saucepan, pressing juices out of ingredients. Skim surface fat off liquid, bring to simmer. Taste to adjust for seasonings. Reduce liquid if necessary. There should be about 2 1/2 cups. Remove from heat and beat in cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons wine. Return sauce to heat and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove kitchen string from lamb, slice, pour spoonful sauce on each piece. Pass remaining sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 481 calories; 502 mg sodium; 155 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 38 grams protein; 0.77 gram fiber.

Mushroom Duxelles 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms 1/2 tablespoon oil 1 tablespoon butter Salt, pepper

Trim, wash and dry mushrooms and cut into 1/6 inch dice. Put handful in corner of kitchen towel and twist hard to squeeze out water. Repeat with rest of mushrooms.

Heat oil and butter to bubbling in pan, add mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until pieces begin to separate from each other and start to brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Vindaloo, a dish from Portugal’s old Indian colony of Goa, gets its name from vinho d’alho, Portuguese for wine (that is, vinegar) of garlic. This easy recipe is not as peppery as some vindaloos, but still vividly flavored. Serve with chutney, boiled lentils and sliced cucumbers in yogurt. Adapted from “Indian Curry for Use in All Lands” by E.P. Veeraswamy.

MUTTON VINDALOO 1 onion, minced 2 tablespoons oil 2 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tablespoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon minced serrano chiles 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground mustard 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons vinegar 1 pound lamb stew meat

In skillet saute onion in oil until golden. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Mix coriander, turmeric, chiles, cumin, mustard, ginger and pepper with vinegar to make paste. Add to pan and cook over low heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add lamb, mix well and cover skillet tightly. Cook over low heat until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, checking regularly and adding water as necessary to prevent drying. There should be thick, rich gravy. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 211 calories; 60 mg sodium; 55 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 19 grams protein; 1.27 grams fiber.

According to a 10th - Century book called “The Book of Dishes,” this recipe was a favorite of Harun al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad who appears in many of the “Arabian Nights” stories. Rue, an herb with a sweet, plum-like fragrance and a proverbially bitter flavor, is optional and if used should be used sparingly. The dish has the spicy exoticism of medieval food and would make a good appetizer with pita.

MULAHWAJA (The Caliph’s Favorite) 2 tablespoons oil 1 onion, chopped 2 leeks, white part only, sliced 2 tablespoons minced cilantro Dash rue, preferably fresh, optional 1/2 pound lamb, chopped 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground caraway 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground galingale 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons honey

In skillet, sautee oil, onion, leeks, cilantro, rue and lamb until onion is tender and meat is browned. Add coriander, cinnamon, caraway, pepper, galingale, vinegar and salt. Cook until meat is done, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Sprinkle with honey and more cilantro and serve. Makes 2 main dish servings, or 8 appetizer servings.

Each serving contains about: 400 calories; 378 mg sodium; 55 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 2.77 grams fiber.

Note: Dried rue is available at herbalists; to get fresh rue you must grow it yourself from seeds or seedlings available at nurseries. Galingale is available at Indonesian and Thai markets as galanga, laos or kha.

This lamb stew with garlicky white beans comes from Marcella Hazan’s “Marcella’s Italian Kitchen.”

SPEZZATO DI AGNELLO COI FAGIOLI (Lamb Stew With White Kidney Beans) Vegetable oil 1 (3-pound) lamb shoulder, bone in, cut into 3-inch pieces 2/3 cup flour, spread on plate 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 1/2 cups onion, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon ground sage leaves, crumbled, or 6 to 7 small fresh sage leaves, torn into fine pieces Salt, pepper 1 cup dry white wine 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1 cup beef stock 2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

In medium skillet, heat enough oil to cover bottom at medium-high heat.

While oil is hot, dredge lamb pieces one by one in flour and place in pan. Fill, but do not crowd, skillet. Brown meat well on all sides, then transfer to plate, using slotted spoon or spatula. As you remove 1 piece from skillet, replace with another piece of meat freshly dredged in flour, continuing until all lamb has been browned.

In large skillet saute olive oil, onion and sage, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onion is lightly browned.

Add meat, stirring 2 or 3 times to combine with onion mixture. When meat begins to sizzle, season to taste with salt and peppr. Add wine.

Dissolve tomato paste in beef stock. When wine has evaporated, add broth and mix well. Cover and cook over medium heat, about 1 1/2 hours, turning meat once every 30 minutes, until done.

Drain beans and add to skillet. Cook another 15 minutes.

Before serving, mix in garlic and parsley. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 655 calories; 307 mg sodium; 84 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 51 grams protein; 6.3 grams fiber.

And then, of course, there’s leg of lamb--easy, elegant and perfect for almost every occasion. There are lots of ways to roast a leg of lamb, but no matter how you do it, the secret is in removing all traces of visible fat.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried 1 (4- to 5-pound) leg of lamb Salt, pepper

Combine oil, garlic and rosemary in blender or mortar and pestle and grind until relatively smooth.

Carefully trim all fat from outside of lamb. Season to taste generously with salt and pepper. Spread surface of lamb with garlic-rosemary paste.

Roast lamb on rack in low-sided pan at 350 degrees, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Internal temperature of 130 degrees for rare to medium; 140 degrees for medium. Makes 6 to 8 servings.