Sunday 27 January 2013

PRAISE YOUR LAMB AND BRAISE YOUR LAMB SHANKS – Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine




You may wonder why I have not as yet posted any lamb recipes. It’s not for the lack of eating lamb, after all I've gorged on more lamb here than I have in my entire life. I suppose that one simply takes for granted what is so easily at one’s disposal. But no more! Lamb deserves to be respected and elevated (NZ lamb burgers are a regular item on McDonald's and other fast food menus here, not exactly what I had in mind) into something special. After all, when you see these beautiful, bashful creatures, frolicking in the green pastures all around, you’d want nothing less than to respect the meat they are providing you with and to make the most of it. So here is one of my most frequently prepared lamb dishes: fall-off –the-bone braised lamb shanks.

Ingredients
(Serves 2)

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lamb shanks
1 medium onion (coarsely chopped) / 1 leek sliced
2 medium carrots (sliced)
1 celery stick (chopped) optional
½ bottle of red wine
A few sprigs of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary)
1 cup beef stock (homemade or good quality organic stock is best)
Splash of water
Dash of flour
Parsley for garnish

  • Preheat oven to 160 C/320 F
  • Heat up olive oil in a casserole pot
  • Season your lamb shanks with salt and pepper
  • Brown lamb shanks on all sides
  • Remove from pot and set aside
  • In the same pot add chopped vegetables and sweat them for a few minutes
  • Throw in your herbs
  • Add the lamb shanks back in, stir
  • Pour in the red wine making sure you scrape off the sticky bits from the bottom of the pot
  • Let simmer for 2 minutes so alcohol evaporates
  • Pour in your stock
  • Add a bit of water and bring to a simmer again
  • Cover with lid and pop into the over for 2 hours (turning the shanks over occasionally)
  • Remove lamb shanks and set aside somewhere warm
  • Strain out the vegetables and you are left with the remaining liquid
  • Reduce the liquid by at least half
  • Season to taste
  • Add a dash of flour to thicken the jus a bit, stirring continuously
  • Pour the jus over the lamb shanks and garnish with chopped parsley


Works well with roasted potatoes or simple couscous (tip: for extra flavour  use a boiling cup of mint tea instead of water). 

Thursday 17 January 2013

SUMMER DESSERTS USING BERRIES AND PLUMS: Rote Grütze, Yoghurt Cake with Plums, and Plum Dumplings



Aah yea, it’s full on summer here in New Zealand and that means that berries and stone fruits are at their very best. Unlike their North American counterparts, if it’s not in season you won’t likely find it on Kiwi market shelves. This is important because in North America it’s easy to forget how fruit ought to really taste: like a reservoir of warm sunshine waiting to expulse its sweet nectar into an eager mouth. If you think I am over-dramatizing then you have not had fruit that’s been grown naturally, picked at its most ripe and juicy state, then eagerly devoured not long after.

I stopped eating fruit once I moved to Canada because it simply didn't have the sweetness and juiciness of the fruit I grew up on in Europe. My only salvation from a fruit-devoid life in Toronto was the odd trip to a strawberry farm or orchard that ultimately left me disappointed, so I stopped going. This was followed by the more recent advent of farmers markets throughout the city (only in summer) where I could pay an arm and a leg for the privilege of eating decent fruit for a few weeks out of the year. I know I sound a bit pessimistic here but I truly feel ripped off.

No need to feel bitter, I tell myself, I am in New Zealand now and I can sweeten my unpractised pallet with bucketfuls of wonderful sweet fruit for a measly few dollars, if that. Well, yesterday I went for a little drive through Kumeu, an area just outside of Auckland, where I went plum picking in a charming orchard and then went strawberry picking on a farm nearby. I came home with more fruit than I knew what to do with.

So what do you do with so much good fruit? Make jams? Sure can, but how to enjoy them before they begin to go off and before you've gorged on them au naturel and your guts plead arête!


Here are three recipes that make the best use of good berries and plums without distorting their splendid flavours:
A German summer berry dessert that I fell in love with when I lived in Heidelberg;
A much loved basic French yoghurt cake that even kids can make with ease;
A European classic plum-filled potato dumpling much loved throughout Austria, Germany, Hungary, Romania, and even North-eastern Italy

Rote Grütze / Red Grits                      
(makes 6 servings)

6 cups of berries (a mix of any 2 or more of these: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red currents)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cold water, 2 Tb. corn starch
1 Tb. lemon

  • In a food processor pulse the fruit into small bits, 2 cups at a time (don’t liquidize them). Alternatively you can chop the berries for a chunkier texture.
  • Pour into a wide pan, add the sugar and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Let simmer for a few minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Stir cornstarch in the cold water until dissolved and add to the berries. Reduce heat and continue stirring until thickened, around 3 more minutes.
  • Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice (and some vanilla but it’s optional)
  • Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in refrigerator for 24 hours



This goes best with vanilla sauce but you can also have it with vanilla ice cream, or freshly whipped cream.

Vanilla Sauce

2 cups (combination of cream and milk)
½ cup sugar
4 egg yolks
Vanilla
  • Bring the milk and cream to a simmer then remove from heat to cool down a bit.
  • Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar then pour them into the warm milk stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
  • Bring back to stove and keep stirring on low heat until sauce begins to thicken, about 12 minutes. Careful not to bring it to a boil as the egg will begin to cook and split
  • Remove from heat, stir in vanilla beans or natural vanilla extract.
  • Pour into a cup and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

So what to do with the leftover egg whites? This is rather unconventional for this dessert but  it’s a match made in heaven. Just make some meringues and when ready to serve your dessert , layer your Rote Grutze and vanilla sauce on top of the meringue and do enjoy this most refreshing summer dessert.
 
Meringues
Whisk 4 egg whites until stiff. Gradually add 1 cup sugar while whisking until peaked and shiny. Spoon onto baking sheet and put in the oven at 90 C for 3 hours. Turn off heat and leave in oven to cool down.






Gateau au Yaourt aux Prunes / Yoghurt Cake with Plums


(makes 8-10 servings)

1 cup full fat plain or Greek yoghurt
1 cup sugar
A pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
400 g halved and pitted plums (optional: stew them on low heat with 2 Tb. sugar and a splash of water for 2 minutes until slightly softened)





  • Preheat oven at 180 C. Oil your round cake pan and line with baking paper
  • In a bowl, combine yoghurt, sugar, salt, and vanilla, whisking until smooth
  • Add oil in a steady stream while whisking
  • Add the eggs one by one, whisking 
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda
  • Add the dry ingredients to the yoghurt mixture and whisk to combine
  • Pour the batter into the cake pan
  • Top with plum halves
  • Bake on centre rack for 45 minutes
  • Cool for 20 minutes, dust with icing sugar and serve
Note: This can taste even better the next day but you’ll need to cover it up with tin foil, nothing airtight.
























Plum Dumplings/ Galuste cu Prune/ Szilvasgomboc/ Zwetschkenknödel

 


750g ripe plums (if large cut in half and pit them, if small leave whole)
300 g potatoes
Pinch salt
2 Tb. vegetable oil
100 g flour
1 egg
50 g butter
50 g breadcrumbs
2 Tb. sugar 
Cinnamon (optional)






  • Boil the potatoes skin on about 30 minutes with a bit of salt
  • Once boiled and let cool down a bit, then peel potatoes
  • Grate potatoes into a bowl then incorporate potatoes with the oil
  • Incorporate the egg and flour into the potatoes
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
  • To make dumplings take a good tablespoon-full of the potato dough and make a rough disc onto the palm of your hand, place the plum or plum half into the centre and roll wrap the dough around it. Shape it into a nice round ball and set down on a plate.
  • To make this process easier and less sticky, flour your hands or dust the dumplings with a bit of flour.
  • Once all your plums have been rolled, reduce the heat of the boiling water to a moderate simmer  then place each dumpling gently into the boiling water.
  • Let them boil for about 12-15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter into a pan at medium heat, once it begins to brown add the breadcrumbs and let them fry for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Stir in about 2 tbsp. sugar.
  • Once dumplings are boiled, remove with slotted spoon. Drain and let cool a few minutes.
  • Roll each dumpling into the buttery breadcrumbs then top with more sugar (and cinnamon) if you like them sweeter.
  • Enjoy warm


Note: if your plums are not sweet enough, sprinkle sugar on them before wrapping them in the dough. 
For a change, try this recipe with apricots.