On the Lamb
Don't run away from serving this delicious dish.
All lambs are sheep, but not all sheep are lambs. It's one of those tidbits of culinary information that I have always been too embarrassed to ask about. City boy that I am, I simply didn't know the differences.

Luckily, I got a nifty book for Christmas called The Food Lover's Companion. It has the answers to thousands of culinary questions without having to reveal my ignorance.

It offers the answers to questions you don't want to ask in public, such as (answers below):

1. Is clafouti a pudding-like dessert or a former third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds?
2. What's the difference between hazelnuts and filberts?
3. Is parmigiano-reggiano cheese made from goat's milk or sheep's milk?
4. Is a sauteuse a French nightclub singer or a slope-sided skillet?

What I found under the listing for lamb reveals that it is a sheep less than 1 year old. Baby lambs are under 6 to 8 weeks; spring lambs are 3 to 5 months; yearlings are 1 to 2 years, and mutton is 2 years and up - and not for the faint of heart. Younger lamb is lighter in color and milder in flavor.

Now that spring has nearly sprung, try this menu of classic flavors. Ground lamb is seasoned with garlic and cumin and served with a puree of young carrots and grilled scallions. If there is a break in the weather, fire up the gas or charcoal grill. If not, an indoor grill or nice hot skillet will do the trick. (I'm still working my way through the "L's" and just found out that Lassi is a yogurt drink and not just Timmy's collie.)

Answers:

1. Clafouti is a French dessert from the Limousin region, usually berries covered with a batter and baked.
2. Filbert is just another name for hazelnut.
3. Neither. It is made from cow's milk.
4. A French nightclub singer is a chanteuse; a slope-sided skillet is a sauteuse.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic minced
1 pound ground lamb
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper

Instructions:
Sauté onion in melted butter over medium heat until softened. Add garlic and remove from heat. Gently mix lamb with cumin, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in onion-garlic mixture and form into patties. Grill 4 minutes on each side for medium. Makes 4 patties.

More Recipes
Magazine Home
Printer Friendly Page

Mint Pesto
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 cup flat leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil (or more)

Instructions:
Combine everything except oil in food processor. Run processor and drizzle in oil until a soft paste is formed.

ON THE SIDE . . .

Ginger Carrot Puree

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:
Boil carrots, ginger and sugar in water over medium heat until carrots are soft and water has almost evaporated. Pass through food mill or puree with immersion blender. Stir in butter; serve.