Parcel cooking, with Lamb

Further to my previous blog I thought I would report on another recent 'experiment' - cooking a leg of lamb - in a brown paper parcel.
I must admit, I was a bit of a nonbeliever in said method for such a large piece of meat. And you could say I was a little reckless cooking it for the first time for dinner guests.
When I ordered the meat at my local butcher, he was quick to tell me they didn't wrap their meat in brown paper any more! I reassured him I had that in hand. I had managed to purloin some from our local picture framers!
The upshot of all this was a cooked leg of lamb which was surprisingly -  a roaring success.

I used a recipe by Ruth Pretty, which recently appeared in the Dominion Post.

Smear a large leg of lamb, mine was just under 3kg, ( chump removed but cooked alongside the leg) with a mixture of 1/4 c lemon juice, 10 - 12 sprigs of oregano, olive oil, seasoning, and poke slivered garlic into little slits neatly made in the meat.
Place a layer of baking paper on top of a large sheet of brown paper and making sure the fat side of the lamb is facing up, wrap neatly to ensure it is all completely enclosed.
Secure the parcel with cooking string and some expert tying techniques and 'bobs your uncle'.
Be sure to place the lamb parcel on a wire rack sitting in a large meat dish. 
Preheat the oven to a high heat then turn down to 170 C and slow cook for 3 1/2 hours. Don't be tempted to break the seal while it is cooking.
Remove from the oven and let it rest for 20 - 30mins - still wrapped - this part is essential.

I think my guests were a little surprised to see what I was about to serve! The big reveal was a little fiddly but the man and I had heaps of fun unwrapping the steaming surprise, while saying quietly to ourselves 'please G, make it be cooked' ?  A quick check with the meat thermometer confirmed all was well. The meat almost fell off the bone.
Be careful to save the juice as this is used to serve with the meat, or if you prefer,  to be the basis for your gravy.  I served it with roast vegetables, peas and beans.
It all made for a delicious Good Friday dinner with great friends. This now completes my go at 'parcel' cooking. It has been such fun.

I prepared the lamb day before, left in the fridge overnight, bought to room temperature and placed in the oven when needed

With the meat coming away so well from the bone, it looks cooked but best to confirm to be sure

Lamb Mince with a twist

As you know my dear Mother passed away nearly three years ago and I have only just had the where-with-all to open the huge plastic box of her bits and pieces, packed (in a rush) while cleaning out her small apartment in the week after her funeral.
It was a real trip down memory lane as I mulled over the many items I had packed in there. Inside I found some of her mothers (my Nana) papers and photos too, she died in June 1992 aged 88. Nana led quite a tough life raising seven children through the Depression and World War II. It reminded me how lucky I was to be raised post War in the 50's and 60's.
What do you do with your Mother's 1940's work reference (written in beautiful flowing ink when people knew how to write properly) or her 'crown' and Hawaiian lei she wore at her 70th birthday party - boy did she love that night, she often referred to the event as one of the best nights of her life!
Sigh.... just put them back in the box and work it out later.
One thing I must keep, and share with my siblings, are the many, many photos she saved; some in albums, but mostly great piles of photographic memories of a life well lived. These will be passed onto our children, who will in turn (hopefully) pass them onto their children who will no doubt (as I did) be entertained to look back on the funny hair styles and outfits people wore in the 1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's. Of course many of these fashions have (at some time) been back in vogue!
This task has also made me think about how my children will feel when they have to sort through my many precious possessions when I'm gone!
On a brighter note, as the only girl in my family, I was expected to be in the kitchen helping my mother on most baking days and at meal times. I remember she had a huge loosely stuffed book of her favourites recipes. I am not sure where that has gone nor what happened to her well used Edmond's cookbook - they both probably fell apart years ago. However, among my Mother's things I found a few old recipe books, one a perfect little gem called "New Zealand's Leading Recipe Book, 6th Edition ' written by Elsie G. Harvey (An Effort of a Returned Soldiers Wife) of Point Chevalier. It is subtitled 'Every recipe has been tested and is guaranteed economical, dainty and wholesome'. It is a small book, pages yellow with age - no flash pictures or publishing date but clearly a winner that was published at least six times. I have no idea where my mother got it from but it is an absolute classic. It is full of interesting items like Friday Sausages - made with oatmeal not meat? or Savoury Baked Tripe - yuck!!
One recipe that particularly caught my eye was Sheep's-Head Mince. Reading it out to my husband was highly entertaining - lots of arrggghsss and heaving sounds on my part!! I would never in my wildest dreams EVER consider making such a dish but for those who may interested here goes! I suggest just reading the recipe will be one of the most exciting things you have done in ages!!
Sheeps-Head Mince
Soak a sheeps-head in salted water for several hours, changing the water twice. Remove brains (this is when I would leave the room!), and boil them separately. Put the head in saucepan and cover with water, add pepper and salt, boil for an hour then add 4 onions, 3 split ans scrapped carrots, a medium sized and peeled swede/turnip and boil for another hour (or more if not a young sheep). Take out the vegetables and keep hot in an oven. Remove the meat from the bones, peel the tongue, mince very finely and place in the centre of the meat dish. Arrange vegetables as a garnish. Heat to boiling point 2 cups of milk. Mash the brains, add one tablespoon of flour blended with a little milk, and also one of the cooked onions minced fine, boil up and then add 1 teaspoon butter with salt and pepper to taste and if liked, a little minced parsley. Pour puree over the head-meat and serve at once.
To the stock from the head add 2oz split peas, 2oz pearl barley, a carrot, 1/2 minced onion, 1/2 a grated potato and 1 tbsp of tomato sauce. Boil for 1 hour and serve as a soup the next day for lunch or dinner. 
Just as a footnote - I remember my Nana loved cooked brains and/or sweetbreads and every Tuesday when my Mother visited her she would often cook them for her. I would sit and watch her eat them and think how extraordinary that someone could enjoy eating such a 'tasty treat'!
Then, as in now - all I can say is Yuck!

Middle Eastern flavours

I have a number of great recipe books for Moorocon and Turkish cooking.The photography in my books are a visual feast in themselves. I am a big fan of middle eastern flavours and of course many of the dishes use vegetables and pulses so are suitable to serve to vegetarians
My good friend Deb cooked this dish for us while on our stay in the Tekapo bach. She cannot remember where she got the recipe from so my apologies for the lack of reference.
I love using new ingredients and while Pomegranate Molasses had been in my pantry for a while I was waiting for the right recipe to try it.

Debs Middle Eastern Lamb

1 leg of lamb

1tbsp olive oil

2 red onions finely chopped
250ml beef stock

Paste

2tbsp pomegranate molasses

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground cumin

4 cloves of garlic ground with a 1tsp salt

Heat oil in pan, brown leg of lamb all over and set aside. Saute onions and place in large meat dish. Pour stock over onions. Mix paste ingredients and spread over the lamb and place in dish. 

Cook for 160 degrees Celsius for about 4 hours.

We used an oven bag which worked really well (just put onions and stock in bag, then pasted meat), the meat just fell off the bone, no need to carve!
I have also tried this recipe with lamb loin chops which worked well too, just lessen the time cooked to about 1 hour or less (depending on the cut of lamb chop).

We had mixed roast vegetables as a side dish, you could include a green vegetable like broccoli to add extra colour to the plate.

Middle Eastern flavours

I have a number of great recipe books for Moorocon and Turkish cooking.The photography in my books are a visual feast in themselves. I am a big fan of middle eastern flavours and of course many of the dishes use vegetables and pulses so are suitable to serve to vegetarians
My good friend Deb cooked this dish for us while on our stay in the Tekapo bach. She cannot remember where she got the recipe from so my apologies for the lack of reference.
I love using new ingredients and while Pomegranate Molasses had been in my pantry for a while I was waiting for the right recipe to try it.

Debs Middle Eastern Lamb

1 leg of lamb

1tbsp olive oil

2 red onions finely chopped
250ml beef stock

Paste

2tbsp pomegranate molasses

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground cumin

4 cloves of garlic ground with a 1tsp salt

Heat oil in pan, brown leg of lamb all over and set aside. Saute onions and place in large meat dish. Pour stock over onions. Mix paste ingredients and spread over the lamb and place in dish. 

Cook for 160 degrees Celsius for about 4 hours.

We used an oven bag which worked really well (just put onions and stock in bag, then pasted meat), the meat just fell off the bone, no need to carve!
I have also tried this recipe with lamb loin chops which worked well too, just lessen the time cooked to about 1 hour or less (depending on the cut of lamb chop).

We had mixed roast vegetables as a side dish, you could include a green vegetable like broccoli to add extra colour to the plate.