A rite of spring
Lamb dishes get star treatment from 4 top chefs
‘In like a lion, out like a lamb.”
Though that saying has long been used to describe March weather, this month hasn't exactly lived up to it. The unseasonable warmth of early March wound up caving to late-winter cold and storms, leaving snow on the ground these first few days of spring.
Apparently age-old adages don't offer accurate meteorology. As dining advice goes, though, turning to lamb is a spectacular suggestion. Lamb meat has enough barnyard richness to satisfy the lingering comfort food cravings of outgoing sweater weather. Yet lamb — especially so-dubbed “spring lamb,” which is produced from younger animals born over the winter — also has a mild and tender quality that has made the meat culturally linked to spring, the brightness and lightness of the season and all its celebration of rebirth (like, say, all those generous Easter spreads).
'Tis the season! So we tapped four local chefs to share some of their favorite lamb recipes. Since lamb is popular in Greek cuisine, we turned to chef Brendan Pelley, a hot “Hell's Kitchen” alum whose knack for Hellenic cooking catapulted him from his own pop-up restaurant, Pelekasis, to a new permanent role at acclaimed restaurateur Michael Schlow's sleek Boston spot Doretta Taverna & Raw Bar. Pelley made us a beautiful lamb burger that will upgrade those early spring cookouts.
Bar Boulud, worldrenowned chef Daniel Boulud's Back Bay outpost, is one of the few Boston restaurants working with salt meadow lamb, a highcaliber variety (historically rooted in France's Normandy region) that's bred along salty marshes so that high iodine levels will yield especially succulent lamb meat. Bar Boulud chef de cuisine Michael Denk shared his affection for the delicacy, pairing it with garbanzo beans, figs and a harissa yogurt sauce.
Since it's spring, farmers and foodie foragers will be gathering up mushrooms, so executive sous chef Andrew Beddeos, of Fort Point's refined-rustic new restaurant Oak + Rowan, offers up a recipe for lamb sausage stuffed morels. And in case you can't shake those wintery hankerings for hearty fare, we have a recipe for lamb meatball chowder from Bill Brodsky, chief culinary officer of Boston Nightlife Ventures. This spring the BNV team will open Certified Meatball Company in South Boston, a fast-casual spot serving creative variations of meatballs (including lamb) paired with unique sauces.
Lamb fans should also keep an eye out for Lamb Jam, a barbecue-oriented culinary throw-down between top chefs (including “Top Chef” star Tiffani Faison) at the Royal Sonesta hotel in Cambridge on May 7. Tickets for the event, which will benefit Lovin' Spoonfuls, a local charity that redistributes unused restaurant food to soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other worthy organizations, are available at americanlamb.com.
LAMB BURGER
For the lamb patty:
4 lbs. ground lamb 1 T. lemon zest 2 T. fresh mint, chopped 2 t. ground coriander 1 T. ground cumin 1 T. dry oregano 2 T. fresh dill, chopped 2 t. kosher salt Place all ingredients in a
large bowl. Mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Form into 8-oz. patties.
For the feta spread:
2 c. feta cheese 1 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. mascarpone cheese
Place feta and ricotta in a food processor and blend until there are no chunks of feta left. Add mascarpone and pulse to combine.
For the tzatziki:
2 c. Greek yogurt 1/2 European cucumber peeled, deseeded and chopped finely 2 t. lemon juice 1 t. red wine vinegar 2 T. chopped dill 1 T. chopped mint 1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. cayenne pepper 1 T. olive oil
Add all ingredients to large bowl and whisk to combine. Check seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper and lemon juice if necessary.
For the cucumber salad:
1 European cucumber cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin 1/4 red onion, minced 1/2 bunch mint, chiffonade 1/2 red jalapeno, minced Salt to taste
Add all ingredients to a bowl. Season with salt and toss. To assemble the burger: Season the burgers liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a pan or skillet on the stovetop and drizzle with vegetable oil. Gently add the burgers to the pan and gently shake so it doesn't stick. Get a good sear on one side then flip and finish in a preheated oven. Cook to medium rare, 115 degrees. Take out of the pan to rest for a minute or two and toast a bun in the rendered lamb fat. Spread one side of the bun with feta spread and the other with tzatziki. Place burger on the bun and top with cucumber salad. Serves 8.
(Recipe by Brendan Pelley, chef de cuisine at Doretta Taverna & Raw Bar.)
RACK OF LAMB
1/4 c. fresh garbanzo beans 2 T. harissa yogurt sauce 3 cornered leeks 1 black Mission fig, halved 1 rack of lamb
Shuck the garbanzo beans from their pods and place in a saute pan. Cover beans with extra-virgin olive oil and cook slowly on low heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Salt to taste. For the harissa yogurt sauce: 2 T. Greek yogurt 1/4 t. harissa powder 1/2 t. lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a small bowl, salt to taste and set aside.
Clean the leeks by rinsing under cold water. Dress with olive oil and salt to taste. Char on grill, 30 seconds on each side.
Cut the fig in half. Dress with white balsamic vinegar and salt to taste. Char on grill, flesh side down, for 30 seconds.
Create a seasoned rub using salt, pepper and chopped rosemary and cover the rack of lamb. Turn grill on high and sear each side until a light crust forms. Lower grill heat to 200 degrees, place rack of lamb bone-side down and cook until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees (for medium-rare). Remove from heat and let the rack rest for a minimum of 10 minutes. Note: The lamb's internal temperature should increase to 135 degrees during time of rest.
Plate the lamb, dress with yogurt, beans, leeks and figs.
(Recipe by Michael Denk, chef de cuisine at Bar Boulud.)