Moroccan-style Grilled Harissa Rack of Lamb with Summer Succotash

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons harissa paste
2 frenched small 8-rib racks of lamb (about 1-1/4 pounds each), trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 ears corn, husked
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise
4 ounces green beans, trimmed

Method

1. Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high cooking over direct heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the harissa paste together.
3. Season the lamb racks with salt and pepper. Spread the harissa mixture all over the lamb.
4. Grill the lamb for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of the lamb registers 125°F for medium-rare. Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let stand for about l0 minutes.
5. Coat the corn, zucchini, and green beans with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
6. Grill the vegetables, turning occasionally and removing them from the grill when they are lightly charred, about 2 minutes for the green beans, about 5 minutes for the zucchini, and about l0 minutes for the corn.
7. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and transfer the kernels to a large bowl.
8. Cut the zucchini into bite-size pieces and add to the bowl. Add the green beans and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the succotash and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Mound the succotash on four dinner plates or a large platter. Cut the lamb racks into individual chops and place over the succotash. Drizzle with the carving juices and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: What’s for Dinner?

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Tortellini with Bone Marrow Broth

Ingredients

Broth

2 pounds meaty bone marrow or beef bones, cut into pieces (see Notes)
1 yellow or white onion, halved and charred (see Notes)
2- to 3-inch knob fresh ginger, sliced into 5 or 6 quarter-size pieces
2 cloves garlic
2 star anise
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley stems (use the leaves for the tortellini filling)
Pinch of kosher salt
2-1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

Pasta

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons bone marrow, melted, or olive oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
leaves from 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
onion flowers, for garnish (optional)

Method

1. To make the broth, preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Spread the marrow bones on a baking sheet and roast until the bones brown and the marrow softens, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove the marrow bones from the oven and scoop out 2 tablespoons marrow if using it for the pasta dough.
4. Transfer the roasted marrow bones to a stockpot and add the onion, ginger, garlic, and star anise. Pour 1 gallon water over these ingredients and then add the parsley stems and salt. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, but do not boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
6. Strain the stock through a colander and return the broth to the pot. Discard the solids.
7. Add the fish sauce to the broth and bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. Let the broth simmer briskly until reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt, if necessary.
8. To make the pasta, pour the flour onto a clean work surface and make a well in the center.
9. In a small bowl, mix the eggs, 2 tablespoons water, the marrow fat, if using, and salt. Pour the mixture into the flour well. Using two fingers, slowly incorporate the flour into the wet mixture until all of the liquid is absorbed and a supple dough is formed.
10. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest.
11. Alternatively, put the flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. With the motor running, pour the wet ingredients through the food tube. The dough is ready when it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
12. To make the filling, in a mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley leaves, one of the eggs, the lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
13. Take the pasta dough from the refrigerator and roll it into sheets using a pasta machine.
14. Alternatively, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 6 to 8 minutes and then roll into sheets with a rolling pin until they are about 1/8 inch thick (a little thicker won’t matter).
15. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining egg and 1 teaspoon water.
16. Cut the pasta into 4-inch rounds with a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass. You will have about 25 rounds.
17. Lay them on a floured work surface and scoop a small amount of filling in the center of each round. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash and fold in half to seal. Put a finger in the center of the seal and fold the dough back around your finger. Fold the edges down to form a tortellini shape.
18. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop the tortellini into the water and cook until they bob to the surface, 3 to 4 minutes.
19. Put 4 to 6 tortellini in each shallow serving bowl and pour the hot broth over them. Serve right away. Garnish with onion flowers, if desired.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Notes:

• Bone marrow is found inside the long bones of animals. It’s soft, yellowish, and mostly fat and is appreciated by meat eaters the world over for the richness and full flavor it brings to any number of dishes. Beef marrow is the most common in the United States. Ask the butcher to cut the bone marrow bones into 2- to 3-inch lengths.
• To char the onion halves, put them cut side up in a small roasting pan and slide them under a preheated broiler. Let them cook until they darken and char around the edges, about 5 minutes. You could also char them by holding them with long-handled tongs over an open gas flame.

Source: So Good

Modern Chinese-style Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

Marinade

1/2 tsp five spices powder
1/2 tsp spiced ginger powder
3 star aniseeds
3 slices ginger
2 sprigs spring onion
1 tbsp Chinese rose wine
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce

Method

1. Wash, clean and drain chicken.
2. Place chicken into roasting pan, rub with marinade and set aside for 2 hours.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
4. Roast chicken for 30 minutes until golden brown.
5. Remove from oven, leave to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.
6. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and spring onion, drizzle sesame oil before serving.

Source: Cook It Easy

Moroccan Beans

Ingredients

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (14-ounce) can butter beans or lima beans, drained
1 (14-ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, with juice
1 cup vegetable stock
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup currants
fresh basil leaves, torn, to garnish

Method

1. Saute the ginger, cinnamon, cumin seeds, and turmeric in the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Add the onions and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the red kidney beans, butter beans, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Toast the pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat until golden, 5 minutes.
5. Add the currants and pine nuts to the beans. Sprinkle with the basil and serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Modern Mediterranean Cooking

Veal Saltimbocca

Ingredients

1 pound veal scallops (escalopes)
1/4 cup butter, cut up
8 slices prosciutto (Parma ham)
bunch of fresh sage + 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh sage
salt
1/2 cup dry white wine

Method

1. Lightly pound the veal with a meat tenderizer so that it is thin and of even thickness.
2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook the veal until browned, 2-3 minutes on each side. If the scallops don’t all fit in the pan in a single layer, cook them in two pans or in two batches.
3. Remove from the pan, top each scallop with a half slice of prosciutto and two sage leaves. Secure with toothpicks.
4. Return the veal to the pan with the butter and add the chopped sage. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Season with salt.
5. Turn up the heat. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate.
6. Discard the toothpicks and serve at once.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Modern Mediterranean Cooking