Port glazed lamb chops & chicken thighs

Port glazed lamb chops & chicken thighs

1 bottle/2 cups Taylor Port or any ruby port

20 lamb chops/chicken thighs
salt & black pepper to taste

In a saucepan, add the whole bottle of port and boil.
Reduce the port by half until you have a thin syrup.
Lay lamb chops and chicken thighs in separate baking pans.
Season lamb chops and chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
When port has reduced, brush port over lamb and chicken.
Allow it to sit 30 mins and brush port over them again.
Allow it to sit another 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 375.
Bake marinated lamb and chicken in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until brown and caramelized.
Top lamb with chopped fresh mint and top chicken with chopped fresh basil.

Fragrant Korma Curry

Our palattes were in the mood for something exotic tonight. One of my favorite ethnic cuisines is Indian and the fragrant spices seemed to be just what we needed. Tonight I made a lamb korma curry.

Korma is a type of mild curry dish from Indian and is often made with a yogurt sauce, cream or peanuts. The flavor is based on a mixture of spices, combined with yogurt and/or cream kept below curdling temperature and incorporated slowly and carefully.

Here is my recipe for Lamb Korma Curry. Note there are a few traditional Indian ingredients, which I purchased from an Indian market:

1.5 lb lamb chops

1 large onion, chopped
2oz ghee
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek

2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 teaspoon hot chilli powder

1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups water or beef broth
1-2 baking potatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen peas

1 cup plain yogurt
salt & pepper, to taste

In a dutch oven, heat ghee and saute onions, garlic.

When onions have softened, add lamb and brown.

Add the remaining ingredients except the potatoes, peas and yogurt.
Stir and cover, allowing the lamb to simmer on low.
Simmer for about 30-45 minutes to ensure the lamb is tender.
After 30 minutes, add chopped potatoes. Cover & simmer.
After 45 minutes, add frozen peas and stir.
Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.
Allow it to rest covered for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I served this over couscous cooked in beef broth and a side of garlic naan.

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Roasted Leg of Lamb

(adapted from AllRecipes.com)

1 cup honey
1/4 lemon juice
1/4 cup prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup rosemary & garlic seasoning
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 pounds whole leg of lamb

– In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except lamb. Mix well and apply to the lamb. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
– Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
– Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt to taste.
– Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and roast for 55 to 60 more minutes for medium rare. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops

Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops

For the garlic rosemary lamb chops:
1 pound of lamb chops
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon rosemary garlic seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
freshly ground pepper

– Combine all the ingredients except the lamb chops to make a spread. Rub mixture on lamb chops and broil for 7-8 minutes.