Harissa Spiced Lamb Chops with Carrots, Dates, Feta & Fresh Herbs

I have been a bit behind lately in coming up with ideas…and consequently syllabi…for my cooking classes.  Recently I scheduled a wine pairing class with nothing but a title (A Late Winter Menu with Wine).  It was gratifying that the class filled anyway.  Unfortunately this allowed me to push coming up with a menu until the last minute.  Testing recipes at the last minute was a little stressful—but a good thing for the class because I taught from a perspective of fresh inspiration.  Several regulars commented afterwards that they thought the menu was exceptional.   

I decided to prepare lamb for the main course.  I found my inspiration in Diana Henry’s delightful cookbook Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavors.  I picked this book up a couple of years ago and have not really had the time to spend in it that I would like.  I remember making a delicious baked pasta with chestnuts and cream when I was looking for some fresh ideas for chestnuts…but that’s about it.  While preparing for this class I spent a little bit more time in my perusal…and will definitely be returning to the book.  “Effortless Food, Big Flavors,” is a truly appropriate title. 

It was the bold flavors of this Mediterranean-style lamb dish that attracted me:  Spicy lamb…  tangy yogurt…  salty Feta… soft, sweet dates… and loads of fresh herbs.  Basically a flavor party on a plate.   I used all of these great contrasting flavors in the dish I ultimately taught…with a few touches of my own. 

The first thing that struck me as I considered the original recipe was that Harissa would have been a perfect condiment.  I didn’t have any Harissa on hand…and because I was in a bit of a rush I didn’t want to make any.  Instead, I augmented Henry’s cumin and cayenne spice rub with coriander, caraway and paprika (basically making my own harissa spice blend).

I also decided to add a few carrots, roasted with this spice mix, to the plate.  I always want more vegetables.  As a bonus, the carrots add great color—and they are delicious with dates. 

I served it all with a simple farro pilaf. Call me old-fashioned, but I always like to include a starch of some kind with an entrée.  Henry suggests olive oil roasted potatoes, bulgur, or couscous as go-withs.  And I think any of these would be good…but I was particularly pleased with how the farro added a subtle nutty and sweet earthiness to the whole dish.  I will probably always serve it with the farro.

As an aside, the farro recipe I made yields a bit more than you will probably need to go with the lamb.  But this is not a bad thing.  I always love having extra cooked grains on hand since I then have an excellent foundation for a quick lunch.  While testing the recipes for this class I used it for just that, topping the leftover farro with a poached egg and some Harissa roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots (an excellent combination).

Since we are heading into spring…and my class menu was planted firmly in  winter in terms of ingredients…I will probably wait until next fall or winter to post the appetizer and salad (both of which were delicious).  The dessert doesn't really need its own post (at least not for the near future (it was the banana cake from my last post...baked in layers, filled with salted butter caramel, frosted with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and garnished with candied pecans).   But I wanted to go ahead and post the lamb entrée now.  Doing so allows me to present it with the fresh enthusiasm that was, I think, so appealing in the class.  Plus, I tend to eat lamb more during the spring and summer months, and I think this particular dish would be wonderful during the early part of the growing season when young carrots and soft, fresh herbs are available.  When the weather warms up, this lamb will be fantastic prepared on the grill.

Harissa Spiced Lamb Chops with Carrots, Dates, Feta & Fresh Herbs

4 lamb loin chops (see notes)

salt

2 T. Olive oil

2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

2 t. Harissa spice (see below)

1 lb. carrots, trimmed and peeled

2 T. olive oil

2 t. Harissa spice (see below)

1/2 c. (125 g.) Greek Yogurt, preferably full fat (5%)—see notes

1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice (more or less, to taste)

1 clove garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

4 t. olive oil

3 to 4 t. water                                                                                         

salt

3 to 4 oz. Feta in brine, drained and broken into small and medium chunks

6 to 8 Medjool dates, pitted and cut into 6 strips each

1/2 c. of very coarsely chopped fresh herbs—a mix of Italian Parsley, Mint, and Dill (if the leaves are small, you may leave them whole)

1 T. finely sliced chives

If possible, salt the lamb 12 to 24 hours ahead.  Up to two hours before cooking, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and harissa in a shallow dish.  Add the lamb, turning the chops to coat with the marinade.  If cooking within half an hour, leave at room temperature.  Otherwise refrigerate until a half hour prior to cooking.

Cut the carrots on the bias in 1/3-inch thick slices.  Cut these slices lengthwise into two or three strips (approx. 1/3-inch wide).  The carrots should look like quills (or penne pasta).  Toss with olive oil and the harissa spice mix.  Spread on a rimmed sheet pan and roast in a 400° oven until tender and nicely caramelized—about 25 minutes. (If serving with farro, it works well to add the water to the farro when the carrots go into the oven).

While the carrots roast, make the sauce:  In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, water and a good pinch of salt.  The consistency should be like regular plain yogurt—add more water or olive oil if it is too thick.  Taste and correct the acidity with lemon (the sauce should be very tangy).  Check the seasoning and correct as necessary. (The sauce may be made ahead.)

When the carrots are almost done, heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.  When the pan is hot, add the lamb chops (there should be enough oil on the chops…but if the pan seems dry, add a bit of oil).  Allow the chops to cook until they are nicely caramelized on the first side before turning them over (2 or 3 minutes).  Cook in a similar fashion on the second side, regulating the heat to prevent scorching.  When the chops are well browned, tip them on their sides to quickly sear (on all sides).  Check the temperature of the lamb so you’ll have an idea of how close it is to your preferred doneness (see temperature guide in the notes below).  If necessary, transfer the pan to the oven to continue cooking until they are the way you like them.  For small chops, even if you like them well done, this won’t be much longer than 7 or 8 minutes.  If you like your lamb rare, you may not need to put them in the oven at all. 

To serve, place a spoonful of sauce on one side of each plate, spreading it out into an arc.  Place a small mound of farro next to it (on the other side of the plate)…or a mound of couscous, or roasted potatoes, etc.  Scatter half of the carrots, dates and herbs over the sauce.  Place the chop on top (leaning against the farro), followed by the remaining carrots and dates.  Scatter the Feta and the remaining herbs over all.  Drizzle with olive oil if you like.  Serves 4

(Recipe inspired by a recipe in Simple by Diana Henry)

Notes:

• I have written the recipe assuming one loin chop per person. Many would consider this to be a very small portion. Recipes frequently give quantities assuming 2 per person. In my experience loin chops weigh about 4 to 5 oz. You should prepare as many as you like. Simply adjust the quantity of marinade to cover the number of chops you will be preparing.
• You may use lamb rib chops (cut from the rack) in place of the loin chops. As with the loin chops, you should prepare as many as you like, depending on appetites. When I use rib chops I think 2 is a nice portion. But as for the loin chops, many people would prefer 3 or 4.
• I have made this recipe using both commercial Greek yogurt and my own homemade Labneh. Since my homemade yogurt is quite tangy, it didn’t require near as much lemon juice. You should add lemon juice to taste, remembering that the sauce needs to be very tangy.
• Lamb temperature guide (remember that the temperature will continue to go up a few degrees after the lamb is out of the oven/pan): Rare—120°F; Medium Rare—125°F; Medium—130°F; Medium Well—135°F; Well Done—140°F.
• Substitute a few halved Brussels sprouts for some of the carrots.

Farro Pilaf

2 T. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 medium shallots, peeled and finely diced

salt

1 c. pearled farro, rinsed

1 T. picked thyme, roughly chopped

2 1/2 c. water

Warm the olive oil in a medium sauce pan set over moderate heat.  Add the shallot along with a pinch of salt.  Sweat until the shallot is tender—about 5 minutes.  Add the farro and thyme and continue to cook and stir until the farro is well-coated in the fat, lightly toasted and hot through—about 3 minutes.

Add the water, along with some salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the farro is tender but still has texture (al dente)—about 25 minutes. Let the farro rest, covered, off of the heat for a few minutes.  Drain and return to the pan to keep warm.  To serve, taste and correct the seasoning.   Drizzle with a bit of olive oil (for flavor and moisture) if you like. Serves 4 generously (I always have some left over—which I love having to make a grain bowl or a salad for lunch).

Harissa Spice

4 t. cumin seed

2 t. coriander seed

2 t. caraway seed

1 t. cayenne

4 t. paprika

Pound the cumin, coriander and caraway until fine using a mortar & pestle—or grind in a spice grinder.  Add the cayenne and paprika.  Recipe makes a generous quarter cup of blended spice.

Notes:

• If you prefer, you may substitute pre-ground cumin, coriander and caraway, but the flavor will not be as vibrant.
• Harissa should have some heat. I find this mix to be sufficiently spicy, but if you like a lot of heat, feel free to increase the cayenne. Conversely, if this is too hot for you, simply decrease the cayenne.

Printable Version

Some Thoughts on Grain Bowls… Three Examples… and One Vinaigrette

For years I have been teaching…and posting…recipes and ideas for grain pilafs and salads.  To be honest, it has very little to do with the fact that whole grains are supposed to be good for me.  It just so happens that I like them.   Whether the menu includes one of the recently reintroduced grains (freekeh or farro)…a done-to-death trendy grain (quinoa)…or a soft porridge-like grain (polenta or risotto)…I’m there…spoon in hand.  I have never thought much about why I like grains so much (clearly not everyone feels the same way).  But in trying to guess at the reason, I have decided that it probably has something to do with the fact that I grew up on hot breakfast cereals. 

My mother never purchased any of the boxed, sugar-saturated cold cereals that many of my peers were enjoying.  If I wanted a cold cereal, I had a choice of Grape Nuts or Miniature Shredded Wheat.  Besides the fact that neither of these appealed to me very much (of the two, Grape Nuts was my preference), I found any cold cereal pretty off-putting since they were all reduced to mush in short order by the addition of the milk.  A bowl of hot cereal (particularly during the winter months) was vastly preferable.  Better yet was a soft cooked egg with buttered toast—even though I grew up in the era when everyone was removing eggs from their diets for “health” reasons.  (I count myself lucky that my mother never succumbed to this insanity.)

To this day I adore a soft cooked or poached egg on toast….for any meal of the day.  It did not occur to me until I began to consider why I like whole grains so much that—like a soft, runny egg—they are for me what we all mean when we say “comfort food”…. a food that conjures up memories of a time when someone else was taking care of us and making us feel warm, full and safe.

It is unfortunately not within my power to turn any food into a source of this kind of comfort for anyone.  But I can and will continue to try and share my love for grains by presenting them in their best light:  properly cooked…properly seasoned…and accompanied by all manner of delicious ingredients. 

All of this brings me to my recent obsession with grain bowls.  If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably noticed.  I am late to the party when it comes to the grain bowl.  (They have been “a thing” for several years now.)  But I am, as I have just pointed out, not late to grains.  And the fact of the matter is that there is really very little difference between a grain bowl and a grain pilaf or salad (both of which can be found in abundance on my blog).  As a friend and I were discussing the other day, a grain bowl is to a grain pilaf or salad what a composed salad is to a tossed salad—the ingredients in the former are arranged artfully (one hopes) on the plate and those in the latter are mixed up before they ever hit the plate.  All of the basic “rules” of how to create one will apply to the other.

The greatest advantage of a grain bowl over a pilaf or salad is they let you, the eater, create different combinations of flavor in every single bite.  To me, this adds in a way to the child-like pleasure I seem to derive from grains.  It is almost like being given permission to play with your food:  Taking your fork and dipping it here…dragging it there…in each bite combining the tastes and textures that please you most. 

There are of course some basic tips that will help you build a delicious grain bowl, but rather than write my usual “how to” post (many others have already done that….The Kitchn, Fine Cooking, The New York Times, Food52, and Williams Sonoma…just to name a few)….I thought I would illustrate how to create a grain bowl by sharing how I put together a few that we have enjoyed recently.  (I am including component recipes either as links to old posts in the text…or at the bottom of this post.)

It all started a few weeks ago when I noticed a colorful looking dish in Feast Magazine that featured some favorite winter vegetables (sweet potatoes and cauliflower).  The dish didn’t include any grains, but it was artfully arranged in a bowl…just like a grain bowl.  In addition to the “look” of the dish, the presence of some black beans made me think of brown rice.  I like brown rice, but I don’t cook with it very often (I have only featured it once on my blog).  The main reason for this is it takes so long to cook when compared to other grains I like.  But I don’t shy away from long cooking times in other ingredients, so I’m not sure why I would with brown rice.  With a little advance planning, the cooking time isn’t a problem.  And it is so good in combination with black beans that I thought the little extra time involved would be worth it.    

The dish that inspired my grain bowl included a generous drizzle of a sauce of pureed cashews and almonds seasoned with ginger, turmeric, garlic and lemon.  I decided to deconstruct this sauce and use the spices to season the roasted vegetables (along with a little added coriander), toast and chop the cashews for final garnish with minced parsley, cilantro and scallions and drizzle the whole thing with a lime vinaigrette seasoned with garlic and cumin.  A scoop of plain yogurt (I used traditional full-fat…but Greek would be nice…or Labneh…) was the final touch.  It was fantastic.

Another grain bowl I made recently was inspired by a breakfast out with some friends.  We were at a local coffee shop…and it was late morning….right about the time I’m hungry for a little something sweet.  So that’s what I had…a sweet and tender little financier.  Both of my friends ordered a delicious looking (and tasting!...I got to have a bite) avocado toast with a runny fried egg.  Well…I couldn’t get that toast out of my mind all day.  So for dinner I decided make a grain bowl featuring avocado and egg.  

My grain of choice for my avocado and egg grain bowl was freekeh (currently my favorite grain).  I cooked it using the pilaf method with some diced onion and seasoned it with a little allspice and cinnamon.  Besides the sliced avocado and a poached egg, I added a pile of carrots roasted with olive oil and a smidge of honey, a spoonful of harissa, a generous drizzle of leftover cumin and lime vinaigrette, and a final shower of sliced cilantro and toasted, broken pine nuts.  This too was excellent. Eggs are wonderful with grain bowls…just remember when you poach (or fry) an egg for a grain bowl to make sure that you leave the yolk nice and runny (it makes a great sauce!)

The most recent grain bowl I made is a great example of how one of the best uses for a grain bowl is as a way to use up a few leftovers…particularly for one person.  So often I find myself with only enough leftovers for one serving of something.  If, for example, we have eaten all the chicken I roasted, sometimes there will be one lonely serving of the vegetables that were roasted with the chicken left over.  I have often used odds and ends like this in a green salad for lunch (and will continue to do so on occasion)…but a grain bowl is much more substantial…and more along the lines of what I’m craving during the colder months. 

Last week I was in just this situation with a single serving of leftover roasted sweet potatoes and cauliflower (from my brown rice grain bowl)….  And since I had grain bowls on the brain, I made one from my lunch.  I cooked some quinoa (which only takes 25 minutes at most…bulgur would have been equally delicious, and even quicker), added a handful of arugula, some yogurt (always a good idea with grains, in my opinion) some julienned apple (crunchy, sweet and tart…and a perfect partner for cauliflower and sweet potato), the remains of my toasted and crushed pine nuts and then drizzled the whole thing with some of the last of my cumin-lime vinaigrette (but a mustard based vinaigrette would have been fine…or simply a good drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon or lime to finish it off). I particularly liked the raw and fresh additions of the apple and arugula in this one (and should mention that I took the time to season and dress them with a little of the vinaigrette before adding them to the bowl).

I hope that these examples will give you some ideas for assembling your own grain bowls.  Obviously I made great use of one, particular vinaigrette (recipe below).  But even this is instructive in that getting into the habit of keeping favorite vinaigrettes and condiments on hand is a good way to get a jump on future grain bowls.  And don’t feel like you have to have a freshly cooked grain in order to have a grain bowl.  I was able to cook some quinoa for my lunch the other day because I was working from home.  But if you don’t have this luxury (and you would like to have grain bowls for lunch), get into the habit of always making a little extra whenever you cook a grain for your dinner.

I’ll end with a few miscellaneous pointers...things that I try to keep in mind when I’m putting together a grain bowl:  First, always think about contrasts—both in tasted and in texture.  You don’t want a big bowl of all the same flavor profiles or something that is all soft…or all crunchy.  Also, make sure everything goes together/makes sense…as always, less is more.  You’ll be much happier with your bowl if it has distinct tastes that complement each other well than you will be if you just have a big mish-mash of indistinguishable leftovers in a bowl.  If you have one of each of the elements (grain, vegetable, protein, fresh and/or crunchy/chewy garnish, sauce/condiment/vinaigrette) don’t add something else just because you have it.

Finally, keep your eyes open for inspiration.  When you have a grain bowl at a restaurant or café, make a point to note what it is that you like about it…the flavors, the textures, how it’s dressed, etc.  Whenever you have leftovers, think about how you might use them in a grain bowl.  And lastly, take inspiration from everywhere: images and recipes on line, in cookbooks or in a favorite magazine.  Pretty soon you’ll be making such delicious grain bowls at home that you won’t need to go out and pay someone else to make one for you.     

A few recipes/cooking notes for the grain bowls described in this post:

The Grains
I almost always cook grains using the pilaf method--that is, I start by toasting the grain in a bit of hot fat (usually olive oil...about two to three teaspoons per cup of raw grain) in the sauce pan and then after a minute or two adding a hot liquid (lightly salted water or stock).  When the whole thing comes to a rolling boil, cover with a tight lid and reduce the temperature to the lowest setting.  When the grain is tender, turn off the heat and let it continue to steam/rest for five to ten minutes.  The amount of liquid you will need and the cooking time will vary for each grain.  For Brown Rice you need 2 measures of liquid for each measure of rice.  It will take about 40 to 50 minutes to cook.  For quinoa and freekeh I use 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 measures of liquid for every measure of grain.  Quinoa takes 15 to 20 minutes and Freekeh takes 20 to 25 minutes.  Almost all grains benefit from a good rinse under running water before you cook them.  Quinoa must be rinsed or it will be bitter.

In the above bowls I didn't add any seasonings (other than salt) to the brown rice or quinoa.  For the freekeh, I used this favorite recipe (with onion, cinnamon and allspice).  I used brown basmati, white quinoa and cracked freekeh.  

I start with 1/4 cup of raw grain for each person.  You may require more...or less...but that's a good place to start.

Components of 2 grain bowls:  Cooked freekeh, roasted carrots, vinaigrette,
 harissa, cilantro, avocado and pine nuts (eggs not pictured...)

The Black Beans
I used 1/2 cup of cooked black beans for each portion.  You may use canned (be sure you rinse them) or cook your own.  I like to bake beans in a low oven, they require less attention and maintain a better shape.  Soak the beans overnight (or not...they'll just take longer to cook).  Drain and rinse the soaked beans and spread them in a layer no deeper than an inch in a shallow baking dish.  Drizzle with some olive oil, add a few cloves of garlic, several sprigs of thyme and a cinnamon stick.  Cover with boiling water by an inch, cover the pan with foil or a tight fitting lid, and bake at 325 degrees until soft but not falling apart...about 2 hours for black beans.  Add salt when the beans are half cooked.   1 cup of dried beans will make 3 cups of cooked.

Whether you use canned or cook your own, finish the beans by cooking some red onion in a little olive oil until tender and beginning to caramelize (use about 1/4 c. of diced onion for each half cup of cooked beans), adding the beans along with a splash of water or bean cooking liquid (you don't want them to be soup-y...but you don't want them to be dry either) and heating them through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  (If you use canned beans, consider adding a little minced garlic and a dash of cinnamon to the onions just before adding the beans.)

Spice Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower
If you aren't in the habit of roasting vegetables, check out my detailed tutorial.  For the vegetables in my brown rice bowl, I roasted a pound of sweet potatoes with 2/3 of a pound of cauliflower (and as mentioned in the text had extra...this was enough roasted vegetables for 3 or 4 grain bowls).  Peel the sweet potato and trim away the leaves and core from the cauliflower.  Cut the cauliflower into 1 1/2-inch florets.  Cut the sweet potatoes in slabs that are a generous half inch thick and cut the slabs into 1 1/2-inch pieces (so they are roughly the same size as the cauliflower florets).  Place them in a large bowl and add a teaspoon each of ginger and turmeric and a half teaspoon of coriander.  Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with salt.  Toss until the vegetables are evenly coated with the oil and spices.  If they look dry, add more oil.  Roast in a 450-degree oven (turning once when they are about 2/3 cooked) until tender to the tip of a knife and nicely caramelized...about 20 to 25 minutes.

Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette (Printable version)
Place 1/4 c. of freshly squeezed and strained lime juice in a small bowl.  Smash a fat clove of garlic to a purée with a pinch of salt and add it to the bowl.  Let sit for five to ten minutes (to allow the flavor of the garlic to mellow a bit).  Add a teaspoon of cumin and salt & pepper to taste.  Add 6 T. of olive oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly.  Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.   Drizzle as generously as you like over your grain bowl...and pass more at the table.  The vinaigrette will keep easily for a week or two in the fridge.  Bring to room temperature and re-whisk before using.

What's in Season?... Turnips

When I flipped to the February drawing for my 2016 "Twelve Months of Fresh Food" calendar I was surprised to see turnips.  

It is not that turnips are not in season right now...they are in fact in season in their capacity as a winter storage vegetable.  My surprise was mostly because in recent years I have come to think of them more often as a young, tender root from the farmers' market during the cooler early and waning days of the growing season.  In that capacity, they are delicious raw (in a salad)......or lightly braised in butter (as a vegetable side). 

                                   

But it was nice to be reminded of them as one of the wonderful root vegetables that make up the winter pantry.  In that role, their pleasantly bitter edge can add depth and complexity to winter soups and stews as well as vegetable purées, gratins and side dishes.   I was glad to have a reason to purchase some this month (we all get into our own little culinary ruts sometimes...). 

Like most storage vegetables, you have to be careful when you purchase them to make sure you don't get a hold of a specimen that has been improperly stored...or stored too long.  Storage turnips will almost always look a bit scuffed or marred...but they shouldn't be deeply scratched or gouged (they will decay rapidly where the skin has been broken).  They should be firm and heavy for their size as well.  If they feel light they will be dry and pithy or spongy.  Alice Waters in her book Chez Panisse Vegetables mentions that you should avoid storage turnips that have begun to re-sprout as they will have become woody.  I would imagine that they would also be excessively bitter at this stage. When you get them home, store them in an open plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. 

For my winter turnip recipe I'm sharing a Spicy Moroccan Roasted Chicken dish.  The recipe is an adaptation of a Cornish Hen recipe that I have been making (and teaching) for years.  

I had a couple of reasons for changing it.  For one thing, I like Cornish Hens...but I love chicken thighs.  But more importantly, the chicken thigh version is a bit more streamlined...and my goal in posting this recipe is to encourage people to try turnips.  Having to truss, baste, carve, etc. might put people off.  I am including the adjustments for the Cornish Hen version in the notes at the bottom of the recipe though, for those who want to try it. 

In addition to chicken thighs, turnips and a lively blend of Moroccan spices (cumin, coriander, caraway, paprika and cayenne), this dish includes sweet winter squash and cipollini onions—both of which temper the heat of the spices...and any bitterness in the turnips...nicely.  I add more sweetness by serving it with a cinnamon scented couscous studded with golden raisins.  If you are in the mood for a lighter meal, a fluff of arugula dressed with lemon and olive oil would make a great side too.  If you have never liked...or never tried...turnips, you should give them a chance in this recipe.  They add great flavor...without being overpowering.

Once you've tried the turnips in this dish, you will probably want to try them in other ways.  You might sample them in a hearty and traditional Guinness stew...perfect for St. Patrick's Day (which is just around the corner)...or in a rich and creamy gratin with sweet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes.   Whether you try these...or some other....recipes, I think you will soon find that there are many ways to prepare this oft neglected vegetable of the winter months.

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Butternut Squash & Turnips

1 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (or use legs...or a mixture of thighs and legs)

About 2 t. kosher salt, divided

1 t. coriander seed
1 t. cumin seed

1/2 t. caraway seed

1 1/2 t. paprika

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

3 T. olive oil

Zest of one lemon

1 1/4 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

3 medium turnips (about 10 to 12 oz.), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

6 oz. cipollini onions (8 to 12, depending on their size...look for 1 to 1 1/2 inch), peeled

Freshly ground black pepper

Coarsely chopped cilantro

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Plain yogurt to serve, optional

If time permits, salt the chicken 12 to 24 hours ahead.  Use up to 3/4 t. of kosher salt per pound of chicken...I find a teaspoon of kosher salt for 1 1/2 lbs of chicken to be about right.  Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 450°. 

Place the spices in a dry sauté pan over medium-high heat, shaking occasionally, until fragrant.  Transfer to a plate to cool.  Grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.  (If whole spices are not available, just use ground spices.)  Combine the toasted spices with the paprika and cayenne in a small bowl with the olive oil and lemon zest; set aside. 

In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with a teaspoon of kosher salt and pepper to taste.  Pepper the chicken and add it to the bowl.  Drizzle the spicy oil over all and toss until everything is well coated.  A wide rubber spatula or your hands work great for this.  Spread the vegetables and chicken (skin side up) on a lightly oiled rimmed sheet pan, distributing everything evenly.   

Place the pan in the oven and roast, stirring the vegetables and basting the chicken with the pan juices two or three times as they roast.  Because all ovens are different, you will have to watch carefully to make sure that 450° is the right temperature for your oven.  You want everything to be cooking at an active sizzle.  If after 20 minutes nothing is happening, increase the temperature by 25°...if things are snapping and popping aggressively...or smoking, reduce the oven temperature by 25°.  Continue to roast until the thighs are cooked through (juices should run clear) and the vegetables are tender and golden brown—about 45 minutes.

Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a platter or individual serving plates and scatter the cilantro over all.  Serve with lemon wedges and a dollop of yogurt on the side, if desired.  Accompany with cinnamon and raisin couscous...or steamed basmati rice...or, for a lighter meal, serve with arugula dressed with lemon and olive oil.  Serves 4

Variation for Cornish Hens:  Replace the chicken thighs with two 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb. Cornish Hens.  Reduce the oil in the spice mixture by a tablespoon and add a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of lemon juice to the mixture.  Season the hens (12 to 24 hours ahead, if time).  Stuff a quarter of a lemon in each of the cavities and tie the legs together with cotton twine.  Toss the vegetables with salt and pepper, add the Cornish hens to the bowl and pour the spice mixture over all, tossing to coat everything thoroughly.  Place the hens and vegetables in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold the hens and vegetables in a snug single layer.  Start the birds in a 475° oven.  Roast, basting the birds occasionally with the pan juices.  After 20 minutes or so (when the birds have begun to take on a deep color), reduce the oven temperature to 400° and add 1/2 cup of water to the roasting pan.  Continue to roast until the birds are fully cooked (juices should run clear) and the vegetables are tender and golden—another 20 to 30 minutes.  (If at any time the pan juices become dry, add more water.)  Keep the vegetables warm while you rest the birds (at least 10 minutes).  Cut the birds in half and serve one half per person.

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Cornish Hen variation...

Cinnamon Couscous with Golden Raisins

1 c. quick-cooking couscous

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. cinnamon

2 T. unsalted butter

1 1/4 c. boiling water

1/2 c. golden raisins, plumped in boiling water and drained well

Place the couscous in a medium sized bowl and toss with the salt and cinnamon.  Add the butter.  Pour the boiling water over, give it a stir and cover with plastic wrap.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Remove the plastic, add the raisins and fluff with a fork. Serve immediately.   Serves 4

(Couscous recipe adapted from One Good Dish by David Tanis)

Leftovers for lunch....

Boston Brown Soda Bread

Long time readers of my blog might remember that I began making my own yogurt a little over two years ago.  One of the things I discovered during my first year of yogurt making was that in order to successfully maintain a yogurt culture I had to establish a yogurt making schedule…basically, I have to make yogurt every 5 to 7 days.  One might think that this would become a hassle or a nuisance, but it never really has.  Making yogurt is so simple that I am able to make it once a week while I’m brewing my coffee and cutting up my fruit for breakfast.  The only drawback that I have encountered is occasionally I find that I have more yogurt than I can reasonably consume.

There are worse problems to have.  Since I eat coffeecake for breakfast most mornings, it has been an easy thing to use up some of the excess in a yogurt based coffeecake of some kind.  Of course it isn’t possible to have too much cake...  Nevertheless, early last winter I decided I wanted to stretch my horizons a bit, so I started poking around on line for recipes that used yogurt.  In the course of my search I found an interesting looking whole wheat, cornmeal and molasses quick bread by Mark Bittman. 

At this point I’m not sure why it was, but for some reason Bittman’s bread put me in mind of Irish soda bread.  Since I like Irish soda bread a lot, I reinvented his loaf in that style.  The ingredients in his original bread are not really very soda bread-like at all.  Instead, they are similar to Boston Brown Bread—a traditional New England steamed quick bread that includes whole wheat flour, cornmeal, molasses and currants.  I have given a nod to both kinds of bread by christening my bread “Boston Brown Soda Bread”. 

While probably not to everyone’s taste, I love this bread.  It has an addictive nubbly texture and a complex flavor.  It is sweeter than most soda breads—mostly from the generous quantity of molasses and currants, but also, I think, from the addition of cornmeal.  The day it is baked, it is delicious sliced and buttered.  The day after, it makes wonderful toast (buttered, of course).  Either way it makes a fine lunch with cheese and fruit. 

It is also good with a salad (lettuce, chicken/tuna, vegetable…) or a bowl of soup.  

While sweet, it isn’t as sweet as the things I normally like to have with my yogurt and fruit at breakfast, but if your morning tastes run toward things that aren’t quite so cake-like, I am sure it would make excellent breakfast toast…perhaps with orange marmalade (and butter).

The first time I made the bread I made it with some King Arthur Irish Wholemeal Flour.  It seemed the right thing to do since I was making soda bread.  I liked it so much that I wanted to post the recipe.  Since most people don’t keep this rather specialized flour on hand I decided to see how it would work with regular (American-style), stone ground whole wheat flour.  It was surprisingly inferior….a bit dense and frankly dry.  Even a nice smear of butter didn’t help much. 

Since I still wanted to post the recipe, I decided to recreate the more coarsely milled style of Irish wholemeal flour by adding miller’s bran and toasted wheat germ to unbleached all-purpose flour and a small amount of whole wheat flour.  

Clockwise from top left:  unbleached all purpose,
toasted wheat germ, wheat bran, stone ground whole wheat, and all four mixed together.

My results were good.  In the picture below, the American style of whole wheat flour is on the right.  You can see that even though it is stone ground, it is still very finely milled.  The Irish wholemeal and my mix are in the center and on the left.  

Since it has been a year since I took the pictures, I can’t remember which is which (although I would guess that the King Arthur flour is on the left).  The fact that they look nearly identical is a good thing since it was my goal to reproduce the look and texture of the Irish wholemeal with my blend.    

I share all of this mostly because these kinds of little details fascinate me.  Good results are always in the details.  But beyond that, I didn’t want someone to look at the recipe and decide to simplify it by making it with all American-style whole wheat flour.  I can pretty much guarantee that the results would be less than satisfactory.  (I was surprised at the difference a more coarsely milled flour made.)  In any case, if you like soda bread, you should give this version a try.  Even if you don't have extra yogurt hanging around....  I think this bread's worth a run to the store to get some.   

Boston Brown Soda Bread

185 g. (1 1/2 c.) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
36 g. (2/3 c.) wheat bran
12 g. (2 T.) toasted wheat germ
66 g. (1/2 c.) whole-wheat flour
67 g. (1/2 c.) stone-ground cornmeal
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 oz. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
70 g. (1/2 c.) currants
242 g. (1 c.) plain (unsweetened) whole milk yogurt
108 g. (1/3 c.) molasses

In a large bowl whisk together the first seven ingredients. Add the butter and toss to coat with flour.

With fingertips rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the currants and toss to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and molasses.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid.  

Using a rubber spatula, mix by scraping down the outside of the bowl and drawing the spatula into the center.  Repeat this motion, rotating the bowl after each pass until the dough is moistened evenly and has come together.  There will still be flour visible in and on the dough, but there shouldn't be any loose in the bottom of the bowl.  The dough should feel quite soft when pressed...almost too soft. 

Scrape the dough onto a floured counter and sprinkle lightly with additional flour.  

Knead briefly, adding more flour if necessary and using a bench scraper to prevent sticking (dough should remain soft and a bit sticky), just until the dough comes together into a ball.  This should take less than a minute.

Place the ball on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with flour.  Pat the ball of dough out into a 7-inch round.  Sprinkle the dough with additional flour and with fingertips spread lightly over the round.  

With a sharp knife, cut a shallow (about 1/2-inch deep) X in the top of the loaf.

Bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 400° oven until browned, firm (but still springy) to the touch—about 30 to 40 minutes (an instant read thermometer inserted into the center should read about 195° to 200°).  Cool the loaf on a rack for at least an hour before slicing.

Notes:

• I use a cushion-air insulated baking sheet for this loaf. The strong bottom heat in my oven overbrowns the bottom of the loaf when I use a standard baking sheet. If you have the same problem with your oven, but don't have any insulated sheets, simply stack two sheets on top of each other. 
• If you have access to it, you should use Irish-style wholemeal flour instead of my mixture of all-purpose, wheat bran, wheat germ and American whole wheat (the first four ingredients in the recipe). This style of flour produces a beautiful loaf. You can purchase this kind of flour from King Arthur. If you use Irish wholemeal flour, use 300 grams total (2 1/2 cups).

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