Volume 11, Issue 124 - December 21, 2006 |
Greetings,
A little American lamb....a little wine...a great combination for the holidays.
American Lamb Marries Perfectly with Wines from Around the World
Acclaimed Wine Expert Karen MacNeil Reveals
Why American Lamb and Wine are a Sensational Marriage
While countless home cooks and chefs have
already discovered the wonderful versatility and pure, mild, delicious flavor
of American lamb, there’s another reason to enjoy lamb. According to wine
expert Karen MacNeil, author of the best selling book The Wine Bible (Workman
Publishing), American lamb is the perfect all-around meat for wine. "American
lamb is the quintessential accompaniment for a wide variety of wines from
around the world – reds, whites, and roses," says MacNeil. "A glass of great
wine brings out lamb’s succulent, mild, meaty flavor and makes it even more
irresistible."
The History of Lamb and Wine
The practice of pairing lamb and wine is
actually quite historic. In fact, European traditions can provide inspiration
for the modern matching of American lamb and wine. "Throughout Europe, the
affinity between lamb and wine is centuries old," explains MacNeil. The
reasons, she says, are two-fold. "First, with availability from the easternmost
islands of Greece to the westernmost coasts of France, Spain and Portugal,
lamb has historically been the most popular meat in the Mediterranean, the
birthplace of wine. Consuming lamb and wine together was considered so utterly
natural it was almost instinctive," says MacNeil. "Grazing sheep and planting
vineyards continue to be a European way of life. That’s why so many of
Europe’s most famous wines are served alongside American Lamb in the United
States."
Flavor has also played an important role. American Lamb’s remarkable flavor
and succulent texture has traditionally lent itself to hundreds of different
culinary interpretations and thousands of dishes based on numerous cuisines.
According to MacNeil, American Lamb is well suited for an enormous range of
wines from French Bordeaux to Spanish Rioja to Italian Chianti.
"There is something especially satisfying about the dynamic interaction
between the rich flavors of lamb and wine," says MacNeil. "A bite of lamb
makes you want to take a sip of wine, and a sip of wine makes you want to take
a bite of lamb. It’s the perfect see-saw."
Source:
American
Lamb Board
 |
American Lamb Council How to buy, store and prepare lamb. Food service
cuts available; plus recipes, sauces, and serving ideas for cooking. |
 Family
Favorite Holiday Lamb Leg with Roasted Potatoes
Makes 12 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 to 2-1/2 hours
Ingredients:
6 to 7 pounds American Lamb leg, trimmed of visible fat
salt and pepper to taste
12 medium red potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup marmalade
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
6 rosemary sprigs for garnish
Preparation:
Coat potatoes with oil and place around edge of roasting pan. Sprinkle potatoes
with kosher salt. Place rack in pan and arrange lamb roast on rack. Season lamb
with salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 325 degrees F.
Combine marmalade, mustard seeds and thyme. Halfway through roasting, baste lamb
with marmalade mixture.
Roast to desired degree of doneness. When lamb is done, cover and allow to stand
for 15 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve with roasted potatoes.
Garnish with rosemary.
Recipe and image provided by the
American
Lamb Board
Is There a "Best Wine" for Lamb Today?
Yes. The one you are planning to drink. "As
someone who cooks with American Lamb all the time and who tastes about 3000
wines a year, I can attest to the fact that lamb goes with a surprising number
of wine styles and varieties of wine," says MacNeil. The exact wine she
chooses depends on the cut of the lamb and how it’s prepared.
For example, with American Lamb stews and slow-braised dishes such as shanks, MacNeil loves a saturated, rich Shiraz. With a seared American rack of lamb,
she chooses a well structured Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. White wines and
roses are great partners too. When MacNeil incorporates lamb into salads, she
loves to serve Sauvignon Blanc. And in summer with grilled lamb and vegetable
kabobs, she’ll serve a well chilled dry rose.
"Matching wine and food is about creativity and commonsense," she says.
"People who pair wine and food together don’t have a set of rules as much as
they have good instincts," says MacNeil. "It’s more of an art than science.
It’s also a matter of paying attention to the principles that emerge when
drinking different kinds of wines with a given dish."
Source:
American
Lamb Board
 |
Bragard Uniforms - Look and feel your very best with our full line of chef
jackets, pants and accessories for every budget starting at under $10.00 |
American Lamb Dumplings with Goat Cheese Crema
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
Dumplings:
3 pounds ground American Lamb
3 tablespoons garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons ginger root, minced
3 cups bread crumbs
12 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
6 tablespoons chiffonade basil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
72 goyza or wonton skins
Goat Cheese Cream Sauce:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
6 tablespoons white wine
1-1/2 quarts heavy cream
4 pounds goat cheese, softened
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
Garnish:
chiffonade basil and mint leaves as needed
Preparation:
For Dumplings:
Mix the ground lamb with all the other dumpling ingredients. Lay out 24 goyza or
wonton skins. Brush the outside edges of the skins with egg wash. Place
a generous 1/2-ounce meat mixture in the center of each skin and fold securely. Repeat
process preparing all dumplings. Drop dumplings in a large pot of salted boiling
water and cook approximately 6 minutes; the meat should be cooked through.
For Goat Cheese Cream Sauce:
Add oil to skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add shallots. Once shallots
start to sizzle, add garlic. Stir and sauté until they just begin to color.
Deglaze with white wine. Add cream and cook until mixture begins to thicken; remove
from heat. Whisk the goat cheese into the cream until smooth. Add a squeeze of
lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked dumplings to the sauce
and gently toss to coat evenly. Garnish with a chiffonade of fresh basil and
mint.
Recipe source Chef Kevin Marquet, The 9th Door, Denver, Colorado
Recipe provided by the
American
Lamb Board
|
Get Free Stuff and Win Money!
Sign up for a
FREE
Subscription to Food Arts Magazine. The Magazine for the Foodservice and
Hospitality Industry. U.S. residents only.
Athens Foods is having a Recipe Contest that ends on December 29th. The
grand prize is $5,000. If you use fillo dough and have a great recipe, it might
be worth some real money
Click Here
for all the details. |
|
