for breaking news visit www.qns.com APRIL 14, 2016 • PASOVER • The queens CourieR 55 PASSOVER DINING Infuse Spring Celebrations with Grilled Lamb Roasted leg of lamb traditionally takes center stage for spring celebrations around the family dinner table. This flavorful s recipe from Boston Chef Michael Scelfo for Grilled American Lamb Sirloin is a fresh spin on whole leg roasts, and simplifies spring entertaining. While sirloin chops are commonly found in grocery stores, consider ordering a whole sirloin roast - a portion of the leg - from your butcher for a larger gathering. Though you may be most familiar with roasting or braising, American lamb can be deliciously prepared a variety of ways. For example, this grilled lamb recipe pairs a zesty marinade with a hint of cacao for a fresh and seasonal American lamb spread. Simple marinades and rubs will bring out the best in lamb, creating a fresh flavor that enhances and tenderizes the meat. Invest in a quality meat thermometer to avoid overcooking lamb. The key to tender and flavorful meat is removing the lamb from the heat when it reaches 135 degrees. Then, let it rest before cutting, bringing the internal temperature to 145 degrees (medium rare). Grilled American Lamb Sirloin Serves 4 to 6 1 1/2 pounds American lamb sirloin or sirloin chops 2 lemons 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 3 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup pitted black olives, plus a few for garnish 2/3 cup flat leaf parsley leaves 2 tablespoons cacao nibs 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Pat sirloin dry and place in 8-inch square baking dish. Coarsely chop zest of one lemon and place in food processor or blender. Add juice of both lemons and remaining ingredients. Roughly puree by pulsing food processor or blender several times, until mixture is smooth with some small chunks. Rub puree over meat. Loosely cover pan with plastic wrap and marinate at least 2 hours in refrigerator. Remove sirloin from refrigerator one hour prior to cooking to bring meat to room temperature. Heat gas or charcoal grill so one section is approximately 450°F degrees, and a second section is about 350°F. When grill is hot, scrape excess rub off sirloin and place it on hot side of grill, flat side down. Sear 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until nicely charred. Move sirloin to cooler side of grill and continue to cook, covered, until it reaches 135°F, approximately 25 minutes or 15 to 20 minutes per pound. (For individual chops, use medium hot grill, 4 to 6 minutes per side.) Before slicing, allow meat to rest, loosely covered with foil, for 15 minutes to bring the internal temperature to 145°F (medium rare). Serving tip: Serve on a bed of Carrot & Coriander Mash, topped with Puree of Grilled Ramps. Find the full recipe at www.americanlamb.com. Courtesy Family Features HOW TO FRESHEN UP YOUR CUISINE For food fanatics, spring is the perfect time of year to add fresh produce back into your recipes and meals. Using seasonal ingredients can really help capture and enhance the flavors of spring and bring your cuisine to life. Whether you’re using first yields from your garden or visiting the farmers market as soon as it opens, there are plenty of ways to take advantage of the season. Here are recommendations for taking your spring cuisine to a new level: • Spruced-up salads: Healthy greens start to appear early in spring and are a great companion to nuts. Try topping a chopped Arugula salad with walnuts or adding pecans to Dandelion greens. Radicchio is delicious with almonds and apples. Using nuts can easily expand your salad horizon. • Top it off: Springtime brings garden-fresh herbs; and parsley and basil are great flavors to finish many dishes. Chop up parsley with some Fisher almonds for added texture and taste. The Fisher Nuts Freshness Seal Bag has a re-sealable closure that will keep the leftover nuts fresh after the package is opened. • Upgraded spice rub: The great spring weather makes it easy to fire up the grill. Add some ground nuts to your spice rub next time you’re cooking meat. The nuts can mellow some of the heat from the spice and add needed richness to the mix. Strawberry Crostata with Walnuts Serves 8 Ingredients: The dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus some additional for rolling out the dough 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Zest of 1 lemon 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and chilled 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water The filling: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 pints strawberries, hulled and split 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3/4 cup Fisher Walnut Halves, coarsely chopped Directions: 1. Dough: In the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until crumbly. Add cold water and pulse only to combine. Form into an 8-inch long cylinder (about 2 inches in diameter) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 2. Filling: Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Place a baking sheet next to the stove. When the saute pan is fairly hot, add the butter for the filling. When it melts and foams slightly, add the strawberries. Toss to coat with the butter and add 1/4 cup sugar, lemon zest and juice. Toss to blend and allow some of the liquid to escape from the berries and reduce. After 2 minutes, sprinkle with cornstarch, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to the baking sheet. Spread the strawberry mixture out so it cools faster and refrigerate until very cool. 3. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a circle that is about 6 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick. Flour lightly under and on top of the dough as you roll it. 5. Meanwhile, remove strawberry mixture from refrigerator and transfer to a fine strainer placed over a bowl. Strain strawberries so that almost no liquid remains with the berries, being sure not to crush the fruit. 6. Arrange the tart rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon walnuts onto the center of each round. Divide the cooked strawberries evenly among the dough circles. Fold the sides up tightly around the fruit to form a purse, making the fruit the center; they will open slightly during baking. Cover the opening left after folding with a few more walnuts. Refrigerate circles if they become too soft to handle. 7. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with any remaining walnuts. Sprinkle with sugar for added texture. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to serving plates using a wide spatula. Serve immediately. Courtesy BPT
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