Braised Breast of Lamb

Filed under Lamb + Veal · Print This Post

For a cheap cut of lamb, the breast is particularly rich with a strong taste. Breast meat is moist and fatty and it braises well with vegetables. I’ve watched the boy cook this dish so many times that I thought it was about time I make my own.

Ingredients:

For Marinade:
2 pounds of breast of lamb with bones
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
half a bunch of scallions, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled, finely chopped
2 cups of red Zinfandel
salt, pepper

For Braising:
2 tbsps whiskey
beef broth
2 medium red onions, finely chopped
1 bag of baby carrots
1 bag of green peas
4 medium white baby potatoes, quartered
1 small can of tomato paste
olive oil

1. Let lamb sit in marinade for a few hours to absorb flavor. Save the juice.
2. When ready to cook, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb on both sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. Pour off all but 2 tbsps of the fat from the pot. Add the onion, carrots and potatoes to the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in some of the marinade with the whiskey and the broth and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping off the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
5. Return the lamb with its juices to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the marinade to a thicker consistency and until lamb is soft.
6. Add the tomato paste and peas. Simmer in low heat until all vegetables are soft.

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Sushiden

Filed under Japanese, Midtown · Print This Post

19 East 49th Street on Madison Avenue
212/758.2700
about $480 for four omakases, with a few drinks, with tip
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

There are two Sushidens in New York City, one on Sixth Avenue and this one on Madison. Whichever branch you pick, make sure you ask to be seated at the bar so you can talk to your chef and get the chance to eat fish that’s not on the menu.

One of the most memorable experiences I had at Sushiden was when our chef brought out some fresh shrimp, disassembled the heads, and used tweezers to pick the brain. He put all the gray and orange matter on top of Japanese mackerel with the shrimp body and made sushi. When we were done bowing in appreciation and glee, the chef deep-fried the shrimp head shells and offered them to us to snack on while we waited for the next course. No part of the shrimp was wasted.

Whenever I go to a sushi restaurant, I always start off with the uni, or the sea urchin. If it’s excellent, then I know the place will have more of the good stuff coming. At Sushiden, after the uni, the chef always asks me what I want next and that’s when I tell him that I’ll eat whatever he wants me to taste. The chefs will only ask you if you’re allergic to anything, and if that’s a negative, you will sit for the next hour eating fresh fish after fresh fish that melts in your mouth like butter.

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