Receta Spicy Lamb and Lentils with Herbs
Alison Roman of Bon Appetit I keep wishing there was
another protein to cook with. How many
riffs can you find for boneless skinless chicken breasts? But it seems unlikely that the Fearless Flyer
from Trader Joe’s is suddenly going to extol the virtues of Rabbit or
Goat. So when I see an intriguing recipe
with a protein we don’t eat that often, I am all for cooking it. That would apply to this wonderful
concoction. Here, ‘aggressively seasoned’
lamb is combined with French Lentils de Puy and a shower of fresh herbs and
then laid atop a serving of cool, rich yogurt.
It’s the work of Alison Roman of Bon Appetit Magazine. Ms. Roman is a
wildly prolific recipe writer. She has
244 recipes on epicurious.com ranging from Charred Scallion Butter to Sardines
with Grilled Bread and Tomato. And she's even been here recently with her recipe for Fennel Crusted Pork Chops (See http://www.chewingthefat.us.com/2016/11/fennel-crusted-pork-chops-with-shallots.html) In this
recipe for Lamb, the seasoning is limited to cumin and red pepper flakes but
the final result is definitely spicy.
The counterpoint to the spice is the sweetness of the lentils and the
coolness of the yogurt. Add to that,
chopped English cucumber, parsley and cilantro and the balance is pretty well
perfect. I’d love to tell you that this dish comes together in 35 minutes as
Ms. Roman promised but for that timing, you can’t count the making of the
lentils. That adds another 40
minutes. But the lentils are just as
important to the dish as the lamb.
Lentils are among the first
plants ever cultivated by man. In France, they’ve been discovered in
Archeological digs dating from Roman times. Lentils de Puy hail from the town
of Puy in southwestern France. They’re
prized for the peppery flavor and firmness even after they’ve been cooked. They cost more than other varieties of the
legume and their cooking time is longer than other lentils. On the plus side, they don’t require any
pre-soaking and they stay whole even when cooked unlike many of their cousins. Originally,
French Green lentils were grown only in the volcanic soil of the Puy region.
Now they’re cultivated in Italy and in North America and still called Lentils
de Puy. The ones I used came from
Canada. To make our Spicy Lamb dish,
it’s best to start with making the lentils. I used Nigella Lawson’s recipe for
French lentils with garlic and thyme. There are any number of other recipes you
can follow. Ina Garten has a great one.
While you don’t have to soak the lentils, you should rinse them because
Lentils very often contain small stones and other debris with they are harvested. Nigella’s recipe is very easy. You sauté the
onions, carrots and garlic, then add the liquid, simmer and in 20 to 25
minutes, they’re done. The lamb part of the recipe
involves seasoning the lamb salted and peppered (Ms. Roman’s word) then making
a big, thin lamb patty, cooking that until it is brown and crisp and then
chopping it up and mixing in the seasoning.
At this point, you can adjust the heat by making careful additions and
tasting it between them. Then the lamb
is replaced by the lentils in the sauté pan and when the lentils have crisped
up, the lamb joins the lentils and the cucumber, parsley and cilantro are added
in. The mixture is put atop a layer of
Greek Yogurt and the entire dish gets another shower of fresh herbs. We served this with lemon wedges and
flatbreads—we used Garlic flavored Naan from the supermarket. Here are the recipes:
Recipe for Nigella Lawson’s Lentils de Puy with Garlic
and Thyme Serves 6. Takes 40 Minutes to Make. You will have leftovers! 3 tablespoons olive
or vegetable oil 1 onion, peeled and
finely chopped 2 cloves garlic,
peeled and finely chopped 1 carrot, peeled and
finely chopped 2 ¼ cups French
lentils 1 teaspoon dried or
fresh thyme 3 bay leaves 1 tablespoon kosher
salt 1. Place a large
saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When hot, add chopped vegetables and
sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Add 6 cups water,
lentils, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast
simmer.
3, Simmer lentils until
they are tender and have absorbed most of the water, 20 to 25 minutes. If
necessary, drain any excess water after lentils have cooked. Serve immediately,
or allow them to cool and reheat later.
Now make the Spicy Lamb and Lentils with Herbs from
Alison Roman in Bon Appetit Magazine 4 Servings Active Time 35 mins. Total
Time 35 mins.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound ground lamb
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or French green
lentils (from 1 cup dried)
1/2 English hothouse cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus
leaves for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus
leaves for serving
3/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
Flatbread and lemon wedges (for
serving)
1. Heat oil in a medium
skillet over medium-high. Season lamb with salt and pepper and arrange in pan
in an even patty about 1/4" thick. Cook, pressing occasionally to help
meat make contact with pan, until underside is browned and very crisp, about 5
minutes. Carefully turn, pouring off excess fat (reserve), and cook until other
side is crisp, about 5 minutes. 2. Break up lamb into
small pieces. Mix in garlic, red pepper flakes, and cumin. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until spices are fragrant and lamb is cooked through but still
juicy, about 2 minutes. Transfer lamb mixture to a bowl with a slotted spoon. 3. Place lentils and 2
tablespoons of reserved fat in same skillet, season with salt and pepper, and
cook, tossing occasionally, until lentils start to brown and crisp, 5–8
minutes. Return lamb to skillet and toss to combine and warm through. Remove
from heat and stir in cucumber, cilantro, and parsley.
4. Spoon yogurt onto
plates and top with lamb mixture, then some more cilantro and parsley. Serve
with flatbread and lemon wedges.