Valentine's Preparations

We have some nice wine that we want to have for Valentine's day so my job is to come up with a dinner menu.  What to have...what to have. We love rack of lamb, which will go nicely with a hearty red.  So, today I decided to slip it into a marinade. It is a little early to do this step, but since Valentine's day is a weekday it's just going to have to do.  I'll figure out the rest of dinner Monday night.

Here is the marinade recipe - adapted from an old Food & Wine recipe.

Port-Marinated Rack of Lamb

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup ruby port
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
• 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon mace, freshly ground if possible
• 1 Tablespoon shallots, minced
• 2 racks of lamb, chine bones removed and frenched
• Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Preparation

In a large glass baking dish, combine all ingredients except the lamb and  kosher salt and last bit of freshly ground black pepper.  Add the lamb and turn to coat.  Let stand at room temperature for 40 minutes.  You can leave it in the marinade and refrigerate if you want to make this ahead.  Bring marinated meat to room temperature before proceeding.

Meanwhile, light a grill or preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Drain the lamb and scrape off the marinade.  Season the racks with kosher salt and pepper.  Grill over a medium-hot fire for 10 to 15 minutes, turning often, until an instant-read thermometer registers 130 degrees for medium rare.  Alternatively, heat a large, ovenproof skillet and sear the lamb over moderately high heat until browned on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes total.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the lamb for 12 minutes for medium rare.

Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Cut the lamb between the bones into chops, arrange 3-4 chops on each plate and serve.

I think I might start this feast with roasted heads of garlic and crusty bread.  Mmmm.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Spicy Mince and Peas

We often have a hankering for hot, spicy food, especially in the winter. One of our favorites that is easy to make and delicious is Spicy Mint and Peas from an old, out of print Pakistani cookbook.  The best version is made with minced lamb, but beef also works. One caution is that it takes fresh ginger and garlic. I once tried to substitute powdered and it was sorely disappointing. Dried mint totally works, but fresh ginger and garlic are essential. I also highly recommend freshly grinding the dried spices (coriander, cumin).  Buy yourself a cheap coffee grinder and use it solely for grinding spices.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb (or beef)
• 4 ounces canned or fresh chopped tomatoes
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1" peeled fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (more if you want it hotter)
• 1/2 teapsoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon dried mint flakes (if using fresh, increase to 3 teaspoons, minced)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces frozen or fresh peas
• 1/4 pint yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Put the lamb (or beef) in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat and, stirring occasionally, let it cook in its own fat until all the moisture has evaporated.  Chop the tomatoes.  Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, powdered spices, mint, salt and the peas.  Mix them all well, cover and leave to cook over low heat for 45-50 minutes until the ingredients are well blended and the mince and peas are tender.  Pour in the yogurt and lemon juice.  Stirring constantly until the yogurt and lemon juice are well absorbed.  Transfer to a heated serving dish and serve piping hot over rice.