Lammrücken mit Kräuterkruste (Saddle of Lamb with Herbs Crust)

A tasty roast lamb dish for today's dinner.  The crust is made of chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, melted ghee and minced garlic.  Of course, any kind of herbs i.e. thyme, rosemary, etc. may be used according to your preference.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1.5 kg Lammrücken (saddle of lamb)
1 tbsp mustard (with herbs flavour or plain)
2 pips garlic, to be peeled and minced
30 g ghee (butter or Butterschmalz), to be melted

30 g breadcrumbs
45 g ghee (butter or Butterschmalz), to be melted
1 pip garlic, to be peeled and minced
3 tbsp chopped parsley
salt & pepper to taste

1 kg waxy potatoes (festkochende), to be peeled
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 pip garlic, to be peeled and minced

Method:
In a medium-sized pot, boil potatoes and water with a little salt for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

Remove fat from lamb and made a few deep cuts in order that the meat retains the mustard flavour.  In a small bowl, add mustard and minced garlic.  Mix well to a paste. Season meat with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Rub garlic/mustard paste onto meat and arrange in a baking pan.  In a small pot, heat 30 g ghee to a smoking point.  Pour over meat and bake in a preheated fan oven at 200° C for 10 minutes.

Then, add half-cooked potatoes to baking pan and bake for a further 10 minutes.  Turn over the potatoes regularly.

In a bowl, add 45 g melted ghee, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Spread mixture onto meat and bake for another 15 minutes.

Then, sprinkle remaining parsley and minced garlic over potatoes.  Bake for another 5 minutes before removing from oven.

Remove roasted potatoes to a serving bowl.

Serve lamb sliced with roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables i.e. broccoli.  To prepare the gravy, pour the roast oil (without residue) into a small pot.  Add 200 g fresh cream and bring to a slight boil. Season with salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Thicken the gravy by adding a mixture of cornflour and water, if preferred.

Bon Appetit!

Cevapcici

A delicious grilled meat dish which originates from the Balkans.  I added both minced beef and minced lamb together along with spices.  In order that the grilled meat stays soft and juicy, I added bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar to the meat mixture. This dish is best eaten with Djuvec Rice and Ajvar relish.

Ingredients (serves 4):
600 g minced beef
600 g minced lamb
4 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely minced
1 medium-size onion, to be peeled and finely diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika powder (Paprikapulver - rosen-scharf)

1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp cream of tartar (can be omitted if one does not have it at hand)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda or Natron)

Method:
In a big bowl, add both kinds of minced meat, minced garlic, diced onion, chopped parsley and mix thoroughly, kneading by using your hand.

In a small bowl, mix cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda with hot water.  Stir until dissolved and add to meat mixture.  Then, add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika powder.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

By using your hands, take a portion of mixture and roll into a sausage-like shape about 12 cm long. Repeat until mixture is used up.  You will get about 16 Cevapcicis.

Cover tray with cling film and store in fridge for at least one hour or overnight.

When using a hot grill, they will take about 5 minutes on each side to turn golden brown.

When using a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat.  Shallow-fry Cevapcicis portionwise until golden brown on all sides.  Remove to a tray lined with kitchen paper. Repeat until all are used up.

Serve hot or cold with Djuvec Rice, Ajvar and sliced onion rings.

Bon Appetit!

Rosemary & Garlic Roast Lamb

I prepared this dish for our Easter Lunch today.  French Beans & Cherry Tomatoes Salad and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes are served on the side.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1,4 kg leg of lamb (with bone)
1 pip garlic, to be sliced into sticks
1 stalk fresh rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
3 carrots, to be peeled and coarsely chopped
1 celery root, to be peeled and coarsely chopped
1 big onion, to be peeled and coarsely chopped
hot oil or ghee (Butterschmalz)
100 ml vegetable stock or lamb stock
200 g fresh cream

500 g french beans, to be washed and both ends cut
1 tsp dried savory (Bohnenkraut)
2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, to be peeled and finely chopped
250 g cherry tomatoes, to be washed and stalk end cut
1 tbsp chopped parsley

750 g small or medium-sized potatoes, to be brushed clean under running water with skin on
sea salt
olive oil
1 stalk fresh rosemary, to be plucked

Method:
Preheat conventional oven to 225° C.  Remove fat from lamb.  With a sharp knife, make slits in the "muscles" or "veins" all over leg of lamb.  Insert garlic sticks or rosemary into the slits. Rub with salt and pepper.  Place lamb in a lightly greased baking pan.  Add chopped carrots, celery root and onions around lamb.  Before putting lamb into oven, pour hot oil or ghee over lamb.  Pour about 50 ml vegetable stock over the chopped vegetables.  Place lamb in oven and after about 10 minutes cooking time, reduce heat to 210° C.  Roast for about one hour and 45 minutes (2nd rack from below) - do bear in mind that the cooking time varies with the weight of meat.  Pour another 50 ml vegetable stock over chopped vegetables after 45 minutes.

Once done, wrap lamb in aluminium foil and allow it to rest in the oven (switched off) for about 10 to 15 minutes.  While the lamb is "resting" in the oven, remove cooked vegetables into a pot and mash or purée them to a pulp.  Add cream and bring to boil over medium heat.  One may add milk if the gravy is too thick.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove bone and slice lamb before serving.  Serve with gravy.

Grease a medium-size casserole lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle sea salt on base of casserole. Pour some olive oil in a small bowl.  Coat each potato lightly with olive oil and arrange in casserole.  Then, sprinkle some sea salt and plucked rosemary over the potatoes.  Once the lamb is roasting for about 45 minutes in the oven, place casserole on the lowest rack.  The potatoes will be ready at the same time as the roast lamb.

Boil french beans together with dried savory in salted water until the beans are almost tender. Remove from heat and drain beans in a sieve.  In a pot, heat butter and add chopped shallots. Fry until translucent before adding the beans.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Lastly, add cherry tomatoes and remove from heat.

Serve roast lamb slices with French Beans & Cherry Tomatoes Salad and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes.

Bon Appetit!

Grilled Lamb Fillets served with Garlic/Olive Oil, Steamed Broccoli and Potato Gratin

The year 2012 is coming to an end and a new year 2013 is just around the corner.  To welcome the new year, I prepared this simple dish for my family.  It is quick to prepare and tastes delicious!

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):

12 lamb fillets

6 cloves of garlic, to be peeled and cut into fine cubes

olive oil (sufficient to cover the cubed garlic)

Method:

Mix cubed garlic and olive oil in a small bowl.  Leave aside.

Grill the lamb fillets without seasoning.  If panfried is preferred, heat a little olive oil in a pan.  Add lamb fillets and fry over medium heat until all sides are slightly brown.  It is important not to overcook or else the meat will be hard.  Once browned, remove to a baking tray.  Leave tray in a preheated fan oven (120° C) for about 10 minutes.

To serve, season with salt & ground black pepper and spoon the garlic/olive oil mixture over it. Serve with steamed broccoli and potato gratin.

Potato Gratin

Ingredients:

750 g waxy potatoes (festkochende Kartoffeln)

200 g fresh cream

salt and ground pepper

a little butter for the casserole dish

Method:

Peel potatoes and place them in a bowl of water.  By using a vegetable slicer, slice the potatoes thinly.  Arrange them in a buttered medium-sized casserole dish.  Season with salt & pepper and pour a little cream over each layer.  Continue until all potatoes are used up.  Add some cubes of butter on top and bake in a preheated fan oven at 180° C for about one hour.

Bon Appetit!