Michael takes his cooking outdoors and grills a leg of lamb over a wood fire when a friend and fellow chef comes to visit. Michael completes the Mediterranean-inspired feast with sun-dried tomato/olive/mint salsa, grilled polenta and roasted vegetables.
- Corn Polenta
- Grilled Lamb with Dried Tomato Mint Tapenade
Grilled Lamb with Dried Tomato Mint Tapenade
Yield: 4A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!
Few things I cook are as good as grilled lamb. I always take the time to build a wood fire because nothing else compares to its flavours. This marinade is very simple and features the strong flavour of oregano. The mustard helps the lemon juice and oil combine into a smooth marinade.
Ingredients:
Lamb
- A boneless leg of lamb, boned
- 1 cup of olive oil
- 1/4 cup of dried oregano
- 8 x garlic cloves, minced
- the zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup of grainy mustard
- Ground pepper
- Salt
Tapenade
- 1 cup dried tomatoes, preferably oil packed
- 1 cup Calamata style black olives, pitted
- 3 x garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp of capers
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3 x anchovy fillets, more if you like
- 2 bunch of mint
Directions:
Lamb
- Build a fire with a hard wood like maple or birch. Don’t use a soft wood such as pine because it produces a noxious tasting resinous smoke. If you can find it, use a fragrant fruitwood like cherry or apple. Let it burn down to glowing coals. Fit with a grill. Alternately, heat a gas barbeque to medium-high heat.
- Butterfly the lamb by cutting it open into one piece through the center hole where the bone was removed. You may end up with two pieces, which is fine. The point is to make it easier to grill by making it thinner.
- Whisk together the olive oil, oregano, garlic, lemon zest and juice, grainy mustard and pepper in a dish large enough to hold the leg of lamb. Mix well then add the lamb. Rub mixture over lamb and cover with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour. For maximum flavour marinate overnight. You may also make the marinade in a smaller bowl and pour into a large Ziploc bag with the lamb, less mess!
- Season the lamb with salt and place on the hot grill. For medium rare - grill for 15 minutes on one side then turn and grill on the other side for a further 10 minutes or so. The lamb should be medium rare. To double check feel free to cut a small slit into the thickest part and have a peek! Rest on a rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This will allow the meat that’s stressed out from the heat of the grill to relax and reabsorb the juices that are driven to the center of the cut. By letting it rest you won’t end up with a platter of juice and dry meat!
- Slice thinly and serve with Dried Tomato Tapenade.
Tapenade
- A tapenade is just a paste of seasoned olives. This version complements the brininess of the olives with salty anchovies and the bright flavours of dried tomatoes and airy mint. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until the mixture is well combined but not smooth. Store in a clean mason jar.
Corn Polenta |
Ease of Preparation: Easy
4-6 with left overs
Polenta is a traditional Italian pudding thickened with cornmeal. Freshly made it has a soft creamy texture but it hardens when cool and is then easily cut into slices that can be grilled or pan seared. This method cuts the traditional hour-long stirring time in half by finishing the polenta in an oven.
Corn PolentaA splash of vegetable oil
A chopped onion
Two cups of milk
Two cups of chicken broth or two more cups of milk
A cup of coarse yellow cornmeal
A cup of frozen corn
One-half cup of top-notch Parmesan cheese
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they just begin to turn golden brown, about five minutes. Add the milk and broth and bring them to a simmer.
Add the cornmeal in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumping. Switch to a wooden spoon as soon as all the cornmeal is in the broth. It will quickly thicken beyond the point that a whisk is useful. Lower the heat and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture really thickens, about ten minutes.
Stir in the corn, cheese, salt and pepper then pour into a loaf pan or baking dish. Bake for fifteen minutes then rest five minutes before serving while hot and creamy. Alternatively, refrigerate until firm then reheat by cutting it into slices and grill them. You may also toss the slices with more cornmeal and pan-fry them.
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Chef At Large
Unilever Test Kitchen
How do you achieve the successful marketing of your favorite recipe? Join Chef Michael as he attempts just that. There is more to this than greets the taste buds. Michael must survive the rigors of testing, tasting, sizing, coloring, marketing, and general appeal, if he wants this product to sell!
