The Minimalist Cooks Dinner (32 page)
Read The Minimalist Cooks Dinner Online
Authors: Mark Bittman
MAKES:
At least 6 servings
There may be no meat better for grilling than boneless leg of lamb. It cooks reasonably quickly, usually in less than half an hour, but still develops an irresistibly crunchy crust. Even better, that crust can be flavored in minutes before it is cooked with any of a dozen combinations of seasonings. Marinating is unnecessary, as the meat itself has exquisite flavor and really needs no more than salt.
One 3- to 4-pound butterflied leg of lamb
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon chopped or crushed fennel seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Start a charcoal or wood fire, preheat a gas grill to the maximum, or preheat the broiler. The fire should be quite hot, and the rack set 4 inches from heat source.
Trim the lamb of excess fat. Mix together the oil, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper; thoroughly rub this mixture into the lamb, making sure to get some into all the crevices. (If time allows, it does no harm to let the prepared lamb sit in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours; just return the meat to room temperature before grilling.)
Sear the meat over the hottest part of the grill until nicely browned on both sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Continue to cook with the grill (you can cover the grill to speed things up a bit) for 5 to 15 minutes longer, until the internal temperature at the thickest part is about 125°F. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
| WINE | Bordeaux or another big red |
| SERVE WITH | Raw Beet Salad , Simple Green Salad , Tomato Salad with Basil , Green Salad with Soy Vinaigrette; Steamed Broccoli (or Other Vegetable) , Roasted Peppers, and/or Glazed Carrots |
THERE IS
no need to do the boning yourself, as there once was; nearly every supermarket carries boned leg of lamb. Most pieces are big enough to serve six, and often ten.
THE LEG’S
irregular shape virtually guarantees that every eater will be happy—lamb is the only meat good at every stage of doneness. When the thickest parts have cooked to rare, the ends will be well done, the parts in between medium.
BONELESS LEGS
sold in supermarkets are sometimes wrapped in an elastic net to form them into a round roast. For grilling, remove this so the meat lies flat. If the larger end of the meat is 3 or more inches thick, you might cut a flap to make that lobe thinner and flatter so that it cooks more evenly. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife and working from the side of the lobe that faces the rest of the meat, make a horizontal cut about halfway down from top to bottom, most of the way through, and fold the meat out; in essence, you are butterflying the butterfly.
Grilled Boneless Leg of Lamb with Coriander and Ginger:
Instead of the oil-rosemary mixture, use a combination of 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, all minced or coarsely ground together; moisten with a little soy sauce.
Curried Boneless Leg of Lamb:
Instead of the oil-rosemary mixture, rub the lamb all over with 2 tablespoons curry powder mixed with ½ cup yogurt.
Broiled or Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb:
Adjust the broiler rack so that it sits 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning; the broiling time will be about 30 minutes. Or roast it in the middle of the oven, at 450°F, turning occasionally; the cooking time will be about 40 minutes.
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Substitute 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried) for the fennel seeds.
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Use 1 tablespoon soy sauce or 1 tablespoon minced anchovies instead of the salt.
GREEN SALAD WITH SOY VINAIGRETTE
STEAMED BROCCOLI (OR OTHER VEGETABLE)
COLD NOODLES WITH SESAME SAUCE
Beet Salad
TIME:
10 to 15 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
Eaten raw, beets are delicious; even self-proclaimed beet-haters will like them in this salad. To eat a beet raw, you have to peel it and shred it. The first step is easiest with a regular vegetable peeler. I do the second with the metal blade of a food processor, pulsing the machine on and off until the beets are finely cut. You can use the shredding blade, but it isn’t any easier or better. Or you can use a manual grater, but only if you’re interested in an upper-body workout.
1 pound beets
1 large shallot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or other good strong vinegar
About 1 tablespoon minced parsley, dill, or chervil; or about 1 teaspoon minced rosemary or tarragon
Peel the beets and the shallot. Combine them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse carefully until the beets are shredded; do not purée. (Or grate the beets by hand and mince the shallots; combine.) Scrape into a bowl.
Toss with the salt, pepper, mustard, oil, and vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Toss in the herbs and serve.
Peppers
TIME:
About 1½ hours, largely unattended
MAKES:
4 servings
Roasting gives amazing depth to vegetables, and especially peppers. The simplest way to serve these is to drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil, along with some salt and pepper, but you can also add a few drops of vinegar. The next step is to garnish with anchovies, capers, and/or herbs.
4 large red bell peppers (about 2 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line a roasting pan with enough foil to later fold over the top. Place the peppers in the pan. Roast, turning the peppers about every 10 minutes, until the peppers collapse, about 40 minutes.
Fold the foil over the peppers and allow them to cool. Working over a bowl, remove the core, skin, and seeds from each of the peppers. It’s okay if the peppers naturally fall into strips during this process. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oil and serve at room temperature. (You can refrigerate these, tightly wrapped or covered, for a few days; bring to room temperature before serving.)
Green Salad
TIME:
10 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
Many people are hooked on premade salad dressing because they believe that homemade dressing is a production, but it need not be. Try this.
4 to 6 cups trimmed, washed, dried and torn assorted greens
¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar, or fresh lemon juice to taste
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper, optional
