Welcome to a new featured series on Mangia McCann: Top Chef Tuesdays! I’m a huge fan of the show and every Tuesday I’m going to come up with some challenge based upon the prior week’s episode. I will try and keep spoiler alerts to a minimum. So be sure to check out my Instagram TV for associated video content.
Week 1 introduced us to all the chef-testants and the Quickfire Challenge mashed random chef’s together to create a cohesive dish, using each chef’s favorite ingredient, in 30 minutes. As a parallel, I asked my daughters and fiancé what their favorite ingredients were (cucumbers, thyme, and dates) and paired them with mine: saffron. I quickly dashed through the kitchen to find some other dish components and ran into some issues along the way: 1) what the hell was I going to do with the dates? 2) I waited way too long to get the meat in the skillet (because I was incessantly thinking about the dates) and 3) the fire alarm went off in the final few minutes of the challenge and I had to rectify the situation by eventually disconnecting it from the ceiling.
How did it turn out? Well, let’s just say I’m thankful that Quickfires are not typically elimination challenges, because I would be out in the first week. I missed my deadline of 30 minutes - which is extra disappointing because I know I could have made this meal in that timeframe. However, upon further reflection, Top Chef had 3 real-deal chefs cooking for a total of 90 chef-minutes (3 chefs on each team means 3x30=90). Most importantly, the dish was tasty. I ended up making an agrodolce from the dates. I topped it on the thyme-garlic rubbed lamb chops which sat on a tzatzik-y yogurt sauce and paired it with a saffron risotto. I learned a bit more about proper timing and beyond the first-and-last few minutes, I wasn’t really too panicked - should’ve cooked the damn lamb during that zen time!
30 minute meal: Pan-roasted Lamb with Saffron Risotto
Don't kill yourself - you don't have to make this in 30 minutes; but, you'd be cooler if you did.
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp saffron
Extra-virgin olive oil
Shallot, minced
1 cup risotto
White wine
Rack of lamb
Thyme
Garlic
Greek Yogurt
English cucumber
Red onion
Lemon
Honey
5 dates
Sherry vinegar
Heavy pinch of parsley leaves, minced
Butter
Parmigiano-Reggiano
In a medium sauce pot, combine the chicken broth with 1 cup of water and the saffron. Bring to a boil and maintain a slow simmer. Cover the pot.
In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat a couple of tbsps of evoo. Add in 3/4 of the minced shallot and a pinch of salt. Once beginning to soften, add in the risotto and stir to coat with the oil and lightly toast. Pour in a half cup of wine and stir until nearly evaporated.
Then pour in half of the saffron broth. Bring to a boil, stirring, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally and as the broth nearly evaporates, add another cup of the broth until you reach a desired consistency - this will take about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, dry the rack of lamb and season it with kosher salt and black pepper. Combine 2 cloves of garlic with about a tablespoon of fresh thyme in a mini-prep and pulse to mince. Add in some evoo and process until a loose paste forms. Rub the mixture all over the lamb.
Preheat a skillet, with 2 tbsp evoo, over medium-high heat and preheat the oven to 400.
Once the skillet is hot and the oil is rippling, lay the lamb bone side down and brown for 3 minutes. Using tongs, lift the lamb so the bones point up, brown for about 30 seconds, and then lay the meat down on the non-seared side. After two minutes, transfer to the oven and roast until you reach your desired temperature. I went with just above rare and pulled it at 142 (this takes about 10 minutes). Let the lamb rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.
While the lamb is searing, prepare your tzatzik-y by whisking together about a cup of yogurt, some shredded cucumber, a little shredded red onion, a minced clove of garlic, juice from a 1/3 of a lemon, salt and pepper, and some fresh minced thyme, along with a bit of olive oil and honey to taste. Of course, if you want to make a traditional tzatziki, sub-in mint for thyme. Set aside.
While the lamb is roasting, prepare the agrodolce by mincing the dates and combining them with the remaining minced shallot. Wipe clean the mini-prep and pulse to combine, adding sherry vinegar, evoo, and some fresh minced parsley. Taste, it should be very assertive with vinegar and sweet on the finish. Set aside and check on the risotto.
When the lamb is cooked, remove from the oven and set aside to allow the meat to rest and the juices to settle back into the meat. Place the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat and add in the agrodolce, stirring with a wooden spoon or whisk, until heated through, then add a heavy splash of wine and cook until fully evaporated. Place into a bowl and reserve.
Finish the risotto by adding in 2 tbsp of butter, about a half cup of shredded parmesan, and some freshly cracked black pepper; check for any additional seasoning needs.
To plate, spread some tzatzik-y on the plate, top with a chop (or two) and garnish the lamb with a tsp of the agrodolce. Serve some risotto alongside and take a deep breath - you did it!
____________________________
Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved
Comments