Broiled Lamb Hearts with Salsa Verde and Fresh Chickpea Salad

If you are looking for an economical cut of meat that is still very tasty, then you have to look no further than lamb heart.  At about $4.99 a pound (give or take a few cents or a dollar),  as compared to $9.99 or even $19.99 for other more popular cuts of lamb or beef, it is definitely worth a try.  The only thing is that you have to look very hard to find lamb hearts.  The average grocery store does not stock them.

Fortunately, I have found lamb hearts on occasion at a certain large grocery store that just happened to merge with an online behemoth.  I have cooked with this ingredient twice before.  My first dish was Khalyat Alkadba Wal Galoob (Fried Heart and Liver), which is a Libyan dish I prepared in connection with my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge.  The second dish was Cuore di Agnello Brasata al Chianti (Lamb Hearts Braised in Chianti).  Both dishes were very good and have always left me wanting more.  

During a recent trip to said large grocery store soon to be owned by even larger online behemoth, I saw that it had lamb hearts.  I decided to buy them and try a more simpler preparation.  I was not going to prepare them in an ethnic style (although I did give that a thought for a moment).  I was not going to do anything fancy with a bottle of wine.  Instead, I decided that I would broil the hearts and try to find different ways to add contrasting and complementing flavors.  

I found a recipe for broiling lamb hearts on LiveStrong, which had a preparatory step that I did not know.  The recipe called for placing the lamb hearts in a bowl of salted water.  In other words, to do a brine.  The recipe did not provide any time limits for the brining of the lamb hearts.  I was also working only with slightly over a half of a pound of meat, as opposed to a twelve pound turkey.  So, I decided that, at most, a half an hour in the brine.  That half of an hour made an incredible difference.  Once cooked the meat was far more tender than my previous attempts and a little more flavorful.  After trying this preparation, I would strongly recommend a brief brine for lamb hearts because it will pay off in the end. 

Still, I only had lamb heart.  I needed something to go with that meat.  I pulled out my cookbooks and surfed the Internet until I came across two recipes from Michael Symon, the well-known chef who hails from Cleveland (which is also my hometown).  One recipe was for a salsa verde, which I thought would go well over the broiled lamb heart.  The recipe was for a Fresh Chick Pea Salad, which made a great side dish.  Both sides are very easy to make and helped to round out a complete meal. 

Now, I know most people are already turned off by the lamb hearts.  Unfortunately, we have been raised to only think about steak, like ribeyes, strip steaks, or burgers.  The supposedly more adventurous think about lamb shanks and rack of lamb.  But, it is in these often overlooked cuts of meat where one can find some true culinary joy. 

BROILED LAMB HEART WITH SALSA VERDE

AND FRESH CHICK  PEA SALAD

Lamb heart recipe adapted from Live Strong

Salsa Verde and Fresh Chick Pea Salad from Cooking Channel

Ingredients (for the lamb):

1/2 pound of lamb heart

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of sherry vinegar

Salt

Ground pepper

Ingredients (for the salsa verde):

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 shallot, minced

1 salt packed anchovy (or a teaspoon anchovy paste)

2 tablespoon salt-packed capers

Pinch red chile flakes

1/2 Fresno chile (or a Cubanelle or Anaheim chile)

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 cup chiffonade fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chiffonade

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Freshly cracked black pepper

Kosher salt

Ingredients (for the chick pea salad):

Salt

3 cups fresh chickpeas, shelled

1/2 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 Fresno chile (or a Cubanelle or Anaheim chile)

Freshly cracked black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly picked flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup freshly picked mint leaves

Directions:

1.  Prepare the lamb hearts.  Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to remove as much fat and connective tissue from the surface of the lamb heart as possible.  Rinse the heart and place it in a bowl of cold water mixed with a pinch of salt.  Preheat the broiler.  Combine the oil and vinegar and whisk together.

2.  Prepare the salsa verde.  In a medium bowl, add the garlic, shallot, anchovy, capers, red chile flakes, chile, lemon zest (save juice for later), mint and parsley.  Save the lemon juice just until serving  - this will help prevent the herbs from turning a dark unappealing color.  Add the extra virgin olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.  Set aside.  Do not salt now.  Allow the flavors to come together.  

3.  Prepare the chickpea salad.  Put a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.  Once at a boil, season with salt and add the chickpeas.  Allow to blanch for about 10 to 15 seconds.  Add the shallots and chile to a medium bowl.  Drain the chickpeas and add to the shallots and chile.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Toss in the parsley and mint leave.  Taste and season if needed.

4.  Broil the lamb hearts.  Remove the heart and pat dry with towels.  Put on a broiler pan.  Brush with the olive oil/vinegar mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place under the broiler for about 3 minutes.  Flip the hearts and brush the other side with the olive oil/vinegar mixture.  Continue to cook for 3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove from the broiler and let rest for 3 minutes.  

ENJOY!

South Carolina Shrimp Burgers

Almost any protein can be made into a burger.  Beef may reign supreme, but lamb and turkey have made their inroads. However, some of the best burgers are those made with fish.  In the past, I have prepare dishes such as Salmon Burgers and Rockfish Burgers, both of which were paired with variations of guacamole.  I actually prefer those types of burgers over a beef burger (but not a lamb burger).  

Given the myriad of possibilities when it comes to proteins and burgers, I am always on the lookout for something new and different.  A few months back, my beautiful wife, Clare, and I -- along with our kids -- went to the Library of Congress' book festival  At that festival, I picked up the Cook's Country Eats Local.  It was a great purchase, because the book has all sorts of interesting recipes from around the country, including one for South Carolina Shrimp Burgers.

The connection between South Carolina and shrimp is an obvious one, especially for a food lover such as myself.  There is a long history of shrimping in the low country, with generation after generation plying the waters catching one of the three types of shrimp that thrive in the area.  Each type corresponds to a color.  There is the brown shrimp or Farfantepenaeus Aztecus.  There is the white shrimp or Litopenaues Setiferus.  And there is the pink shrimp or Litopenaue Duorarum.  Three types of shrimp, that all basically taste the same. 

The true difference in shrimp comes from using fresh shrimp and frozen shrimp.  Unless you live in the low country, or by a body of water where shrimpers ply their trade, you are most likely eating frozen shrimp.  This is even true if you buy them at the seafood counter of your local grocery store. (The shrimp arrive at the store frozen, but the store's seafood staff takes care of that whole defrosting thing.)  While fresh shrimp are definitely the best, you can use frozen shrimp provided that those shrimp did not have to travel half of the globe to make it to your local supermarket.  In other words, look for shrimp that is as "local" as you can get.  If you are in a city such as Charleston, South Carolina, or Chicago, Illinois, you are better off if your shrimp is from the United States, as opposed to Thailand or Ecuador.  While it may cost more to buy shrimp harvested in the United States, you are at least supporting local fishermen and shrimpers, which is a good thing.  

The authors of the Cook's Country book also recommend that you should use "untreated shrimp," that is, shrimp that does not have added sodium or preservatives, such as sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP).  This would pretty much rule out most, if not all, of the shrimp that you find in the freezer section of your grocery store.  Once the freezer section declared off limits, you are left with the seafood counter, where you can buy some seemingly-fresh-but-previously-frozen shrimp for this burger recipe. You will not regret it.

In the end, this is a great recipe. I have already made these shrimp burgers for family and friends.  The recipe is quickly becoming a family favorite, which ensures it will be made again and again.  Too bad we don't live closer to the shore where we could get our shrimp right off of the boat.  

SOUTH CAROLINA SHRIMP BURGERS

Recipe from Cook's Country Eats Local, pages 114-115

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the burgers):

1 cup of panko bread crumbs

1 1/4 pounds of large shrimp (26/30 count),

     peeled, deveined, and tails removed

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 scallions, chopped fine

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

4 hamburger buns

4 leaves Bibb lettuce

Ingredients (for the tartar sauce):

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles

1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed and chopped fine

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1.  Make the tartar sauce.   Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

2.  Begin making the burgers. Pulse the panko crumbs until finely ground, about 15 pulses, transfer to a shallow dish.  Place one-third of shrimp (1 cup), mayonnaise, pepper, salt, and cayenne in the now-empty and pulse until shrimp are finely chopped, about 8 pulses.  Add remaining two-third of shrimp (2 cups) to shrimp mixture in processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 4 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Transfer shrimp mixture to a bowl and stir in the scallions. 

3.  Make the patties.  Divide shrimp mixture into four 3/4 inch thick patties (about 1/2 cup each).  Working with 1 patty at a time, dredge both sides of batties in panko, pressing lightly to adhere, and transfer to plate. 

4.  Cook the burgers.  Heat oil in 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Place patties in skillet and cook until golden brown on first side, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Carefully flip  and continue to cook until the shrimo registers 140 to 145 degrees and second side is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes longer.  Transfer burgers to paper towel-lined plate and let drain, about 30 seconds each side.  Spread tartar sauce on bun bottoms, then place burgers on top.  Cover with lettuce and bun tops.  Serve.

ENJOY!

Grilled Steak with Sauce Vierge

Back in the 1980s, there was this chef.  Actually, there were a lot of chefs back in the 1980s, but there was this one chef.  He was born in southwestern France, but, he lived and cooked in Paris.  He also wrote cookbooks.  As the 1980s unfolded, this chef popularized a sauce.  That was quite a feat for a country whose cuisine is known for its sauces.  However, those sauces were stock based sauces.  This particular sauce is a fresh sauce, with fresh ingredients, like olive oil oil, lemon juice, tomatoes and basil.  It was to be used in shellfish dishes and pasta dishes, the type that would be particularly welcoming to a fresh sauce.

That chef was Michel Guérard and the sauce that he made popular goes by the name of Sauce Vierge or, literally translated, "Virgin Sauce."  (Don't ask me why it is called by that name, that question is best left for Chef Guérard.)  I had come across a recipe for sauce vierge and placed it on my short list of recipes to make.  The recipe sat on that list for a long time.  A very long time. 

At long last, I made the recipe for sauce vierge.  As I did my research, I realized that the sauce I was making bore little resemblance to Chef Guérard's recipes.  Sure, the olive oil is still there.  But the basil, lemon juice and tomato are long gone. 

The reason is that the term -- sauce vierge -- has come to represent a variety of Mediterranean sauces, many of which go by other names.  Names like "green sauce," "sauce aux herbes" and "sauce verte."  These sauces are generally a combination of olive oil, various herbs, mustard, capers, olives and other aromatics.

The particular recipe that I found and used had two things that appealed to me. First, the recipe included an additional ingredient for the sauce... a jalapeño pepper.  The pepper provided the sauce with a good, but overpowering, kick.  Second, it called for using this sauce on a grilled steak.  Although the recipe called for the use of a sirloin steak, which is a decent cut for use with sauces.  (Flank steaks or flat iron steaks are definitely better for sauces.)  I decided that I would use my favorite cut, a bone-in ribeye.  

The recipe definitely worked very well.  In fact, it worked so well, that I will definitely try it on seafood or pasta dishes.  However, depending upon the fish or pasta, I might leave out the pepper.  The kick works well with beef or other meat, but it may be a little to much for fish.

GRILLED STEAK WITH SAUCE VIERGE
Recipe from Saveur
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon of capers
12 large green olives pitted and roughly chopped
6 oil-packed anchovy filets, drained and finely chopped
4 cornichons, roughly chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
Kosher salt and 

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 thick top sirloin or ribeye steaks (about 2 lbs.)

 

Instructions:

1.  Prepare the Sauce Vierge. On a cutting board, pile together the parsley, capers, olives, anchovies, cornichons, shallots, garlic, and jalapeño. With a large knife, finely chop and scrape the ingredients to combine.  Transfer the parsley mixture to a large bowl and stir in 6 tbsp. of the olive oil and the mustard with a fork to make a thick and chunky sauce. You can drizzle in more olive oil for a thinner consistency, but I think the sauce is better if it is thick and chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside at room temperature to let rest for 30 minutes, to allow the flavors to mingle.

2.  Grill the Steaks. Build a hot charcoal fire in a grill or heat a gas grill to high heat. Rub steaks with the remaining olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill steaks, turning once, until lightly browned and medium rare, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a platter and let rest for 3 minutes. Stir the sauce, because it will begin to separate slightly as it sits and spoon it over the steaks. Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

 ENJOY!

Pan Roasted Salmon Steaks with Tomato Vinaigrette

Several weeks ago, I was looking for a new and different recipe for making salmon.  I had bought a couple of sockeye salmon steaks and wanted to make something special for my beautiful Angel.  I searched the Internet and came across a recipe by Ted Allen for Pan Roasted Salmon with a Tomato Vinaigrette on the Food & Wine website.  I decided that I would adapt this recipe and use it with the salmon steaks.

I modified this recipe in a couple of respects.  First, the recipe called for the use of center-cut salmon fillets.  I went with salmon steaks.  Second,  I used a variety of yellow and red tomatoes, to add some more color to the dish.  Finally, I decided to garnish the dish with some thin slices of Pecorino Romano.  I thought that the cheese would add another layer of flavor to the dish, although, after-the-fact, I think the cheese could be left off the dish.

Overall, this dish was okay.  Obviously, I still need to work on plating and appearance.  (I was very disappointed with the plating, so much so that this dish almost did not make the blog.)  As for taste, it was delicious.  I will definitely try to make this dish again and see if I can do a better job.

PAN-ROASTED SALMON STEAK WITH TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Adapted from recipe by Ted Allen and available at Food & Wine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced 

1 tablespoon of drained capers

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

Salt

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

4 salmon steaks

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

     or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons of canola oil

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 tablespoon of chopped basil

Directions:

1.  Begin the vinaigrette.  While the oven is preheating to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, toss the tomatoes with the shallots, capers, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. 

2.  Cook the salmon.  In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet, skin side up.  (If you are using salmon steaks, just add them to the skillet.) Cook over moderately high heat until well-browned on the bottom, about three minutes.  Carefully flip the fillets (or steaks).  Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the salmon is cooked through, about 7 minutes.  Transfer the fish to the plates and pour off any fat in the skillet.

3.  Finish the dish.  Place the skillet over moderate heat and add the tomato mixture along with the cumin (or crushed red pepper), canola oil and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the skillet, until the tomatoes just soften, about two minutes.  Pour the sauce over the salmon, sprinkle with the parsley and basil and serve immediately.

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

Food & Wine suggests that this dish could be paired with an Argentinian rose wine.  Those may be a little difficult to find.  French rose wines are generally more available.  Winemakers in Provence and the Loire Valley produce some great rose wines.

ENJOY! 

Pesce al Palermitana

Shortly after I married my beautiful Angel, Clare, I had to travel for work to Las Vegas.  We had only been married for a few months and I was going to have to spend a couple weeks away from her.  Although the work opportunity was an important one, I also wanted to spend some time with my wife in Las Vegas.  Fortunately, she was able to fly out and join me for the second week of my trip.

I had a special dinner planned for one evening during the week Clare was in Las Vegas.  Before I arrived, I read an article in La Cucina Italiana about a restaurant in the Wynn, called Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, which was setting itself apart with respect to Italian coastal cuisine.  The chef and owner, Paul Bartolotta, had fresh seafood shipped from Italy to Las Vegas on an almost daily basis.  Both Clare and I love seafood, and, based upon what I had read, there was no question that this would be the restaurant where we could have a special dinner.

The view from our cabana at Bartolotta

I can still remember that dinner.  After arriving, we were escorted by the host through the restaurant and outside to a small cabana.  Our table was within the covered refuge, keeping us away from the hot desert sun while providing us with a view of an amazing pool.  The pool had large, metallic globes suspended in the water as schools of koi fish swam around.   After being seated and ordering some wine, the waiter came by our table with a cart.  The cart was loaded with fresh seafood, all on ice.  The waiter explained the options, whole fish, lobsters, shrimp, and much, much more.   We ordered a whole fish, which was cooked and served perfectly.  

Ever since that night, I have wanted to go back with Clare to Bartollota.  We have not been able to do that, partly because, when we got to Las Vegas, we end up trying other restaurants.  Recently, I was reading an article in Saveur, which included a recipe from Paul Bartollota for Pesce alla Palermitana.  I decided that I would make the recipe, so that both my beautiful and I could relive some of the memories of that wonderful night.

PESCE ALLA PALERMITANA

Recipe by Paul Bartolotta and printed in

Saveur, Vol. 146, Apr. 2012

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces of fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

1 cup of dry white wine

1/4 cup pitted small green olives

1/4 cup capers, rinsed

3 tablespoons of oregano, roughly chopped, plus 5 sprigs

Juice of 1 lemon

2 one pound red snapper fish, gutted, cleaned and scaled

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce and cook the fish.  Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in a 14 inch high sided skillet over medium-high heat; add tomatoes and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring until soft, about six minutes.  Add potatoes, wine, olives, capers, oregano sprigs, juice and 3/4 cup water; boil.  Season fish with salt and pepper, add to skillet; transfer to oven, and cook, basting fish with sauce every few minutes, until fish is cooked through, about twenty minutes.

2.  Finish the sauce.  Transfer fish to serving platter, and transfer skillet to stove over medium high heat.  Cook sauce until reduced and thickened, about ten minutes   Stir in remaining oil, chopped oregano, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.   Pour sauce over fish to serve.

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

The best pairing for this dish is white wine.  The use of fish as an ingredient and the use of white wine in the recipe are the two principal signs that white wine would work best.  The use of green olives, lemon and capers, require a smoother white wine, like a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc, but lighter grape varietals, like Viognier and Falaghina, would also work well.  A couple of wines that I have reviewed that should go well with this dish include:

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard -- Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay
Comus, Maryland, USA
Flavors of pears with some apples, only a hint of oak.

Feudi di San Gregorio -- Falanghina
100% Falaghina
Calabria, Italy
Flavors of apples, grapefruit, with a little lemon and pineapple

 ENJOY!