Apr 09
It was an event we had not planned for. We toyed with a grand feast but soon rejected the notion, it would be too much work, our friends work in the restuarant industry and would be occupied, it was too difficult to organize. We dropped it.
But we live in a neighborhood of many Greeks. Many religious folk, both Greek and non- alike. When Easter comes around, there is no stopping the call of lambs… Especially when two Easters fall on the same day.
We had heard stories: walking out the door on Greek Easter, following a trail of red to find it end in a slaughtered lamb being hoisted to the spit. We had seen the evidence: families roasting meats into the night for a celebration of Spring and birth, we could smell it all day in years past.
We retold these events Friday night to some friends, R and T, transplants from New Orleans. They wanted in and with a burst of emotion D invited them over for a feast. We didn’t realize what we had gotten ourselves into.
We pushed our way through the crowd gathered at the butcher to take our ticket and left to shop. We returned one hour later only to wait an additional hour for our number to arrive.
You could see people drooling for the blood: What number are you?
57.
Oh, I’m 80.
No, I’m I-57, see, you’re J-80. You have a long way to go.
He was defeated. But our ticket came up and somehow, we were fooled. We kept saying, just one lamb leg, just a leg. Only two people were confirmed, any more meat would have been too much. Yet somehow we left with half a lamb. A whole half, the right half– we let another customer take the head.
Was it the shopping carts of full carcasses, ready for the spit and our jealousy in their setup that got us buying more than we needed? Was it the utter craziness of people willing to wait hours for a piece of meat? Was it the recent viewing of the film Killer of Sheep? Was it the sly upsell to half a lamb when we saw half a leg and thought it looked a little meager?
We dragged our meat home and examined our bags– what had we done?
I planned the menu while D examined his different cuts and attempted to reassemble the animal. I think that’s a spine, oh look, marrow! These parts in the freezer for soup, random bits for kebabs, separating the chops. The main event was the lamb and the rest of the menu would follow a Greek-inspired theme as well as some leftovers we were looking to get rid of.
We started with a simple and savory appetizer platter. Figs in a Blanket (pictured above) were the highlight. Taken from a Martha Stewart appetizer cookbook my mother sent me. D exclaimed that this was definitely the best recipe in the book (he has never opened the book). These were a huge hit that D added would be our appetizer of choice here on out. We served our kebabs, marinated in a spice mixture and lemon juice and olive oil. A selection of cheeses R and T brought accompanied all this. When R and T entered the cheese shop and told the man behind the counter they were looking for cheese that would pair with wine braised figs wrapped in bacon the reply was, “niiiiiiccccce,” with half-closed eyes and a dreamy look. It was all very nice indeed.
The next course was a “palate cleanser.” Salt and peppered lamb chops quick seared accompanied some freshened up leftovers. I know, that whole “leftover” thing doesn’t sound that great, but it was rich and decadent: D and I bought a duck the other week (pictures to come) and part two of the duck was braised duck legs in red wine. We added potatoes and parsnips to the braise and had plenty leftover. We mashed the wine-infused potatoes and parsnips up, added a good heap of butter and some milk, fresh scallions and voila. A totally decadent side that had traces of duck fat and wine.
The next part of “The Grand Tasting Menu,” as the event was soon called was the lamb legs (plural). Half a lamb gives us 2 legs, both butterflied by the butcher. These were marinated a few good hours in a spice mixture I made heavy in garlic and fresh ground coriander. D seared them on our largest Le Creuset and threw them in the oven for about 1 hour. Served with a simple Greek salad.
We were bursting when the meal ended. Luckily, for all members of the party this was the only meal of the day. Still, when a meal reaches past the 4 hour mark, Gluttony may be knocking at the door.
We took a needed walk where R decided he needed a taco from our beloved man that sells out of a truck down the street. We returned for dessert.
I knew this meal would be heavy and chose a light angel food cake for dessert, baking them in cupcakes and stuffing each one with a fresh strawberry (pre-cooking) for individual servings. While we were on the walk, we decided ice cream would pair nicely with the light cake and picked up a quart. Somewhere along the way, the dessert also jumped the shark (although you could really say the meal jumped the shark with the purchase of the lamb). The leftover syrup from the braised figs was kept on reserve and rum was added with strawberries around the appetizer section of the meal and left to soak. Angel food cupcakes stuffed with strawberries, a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream and a heavy dose of strawberries soaked in a balsamic-wine reduction with rum.
I would say the meal on whole was a long, dreamy, eyes closed halfway nnniiiiiiccccce. We wish we could have shared it with more– although there is a good amount of lamb leftover if you want to bring the wine.
Recipes to follow shortly.
