Training the Palate

I cooked my first ever herb crusted roasted leg of lamb today.

Coming from the Philippines where a leg of lamb is not really more popular than prime rib, I never really had a chance to cook one.

I remember eating some though in the restaurants where lamb is imported from New Zealand and I would always order it either herb crusted or drowned in mint jelly because it can taste a little 'wooley' as Chef Chlumsky would describe it.

This week, I was tasked to make an Herb Crusted Lamb but instead of lamb chops, I had to work with a leg of lamb. Thank goodness it's already boned, rolled and tied.

Chef Freund though, our instructor for Cafe du Jour wasn't very happy with how it's BRT'd so I had to do it all over again. I had 5 legs of lamb. I opened each one, sliced it out some more to flatten it out and get a more even distribution of meat. When I was done, I seasoned it with lots of salt and pepper, rolled it and tied it tightly and seasoned it some more.

I learned from on of Thomas Keller's method of roasting a chicken that salt helps keep the meat really moist. I tried it twice and guess what, never fails! So I tried using the same salt secret on the lamb. My biggest fear in cooking it really was drying it out as most of the ones I tried in the same college cafe from different classes. Now it's my turn and I want to make it right.

I tied all 5 legs tightly so that I can take out the butcher's twine before roasting them. I seared them all to seal the juices, cooled them and kept them in the cooler over night so they'll tighten some more. I'm roasting them the next day which is today.

I was happy that they all turned out tight so I didn't have to roast them with the twine around them. I was just getting them ready for crusting when the chef said he can't find the recipe. He suggested though that I just blend some herbs with bread crumbs and roll it on there. But... WHAT HERBS do I use?

I tried to remember how an herb crusted lamb tasted like. So I went to the cooler and picked up some of the fresh herbs, I picked those that were on their way out so they won't have to thrown away, I thought dried herbs might be too sharp but fresh ones might be too delicate so I decided to mix both.

This is where I was challenged, while trying to remember what herbs goes on the lamb other than Rosemary which is pretty much all you taste if you you don't add anything else... I was also trying to figure out what else goes on the crust that balances the flavor and aroma.

My herb mix ended up with dried and fresh tarragon, rubbed and fresh sage, dried and fresh oregano, dried and fresh thyme and of course the stars of the herb crust, dried and fresh rosemary. I decided not too put too much of it because I didn't want it to taste like a rosemary crust. I must say that the flavor of dried thyme or rosemary can be very overpowering.

I added my herb blend to some dried breadcrumbs. I brushed the seared legs of lamb with dijon mustard then rolled them onto my herbed breadcrumbs which will eventually be the crust.

I roasted them in a convection oven at low fan at 350 degrees till they are medium rare (about 145-150 internal temperature). Medium rare doneness seems to strike a balance because the ends will be about medium well to medium and the middle part will be about medium rare which for me is the perfect way to eat lamb, but if other diners prefer it medium to medium well, I can just slice some pieces off the tip.

After roasting them for about 55 to 75 minutes, my herb crusted legs of lamb seem perfect.

I'm glad I remembered what the herb crust tasted like so I was still able to deliver my dish even if the chef said he lost the recipe (I wonder if he did it on purpose!) I never really thought about it but I guess somehow I've trained my palate by remembering how food taste like, what's in the layers of flavor so even before I make it, I can already imagine how it taste like without physically having to taste it.

And my biggest complement, one of the diners approached me on my carving station and said, "It's the best lamb I've ever tasted. The flavor and the temperature was just perfect, it's far better than the lamb chops I had at a restaurant where I had to pay 35 dollars for a couple pieces." It was my biggest reward for a long tiring day.

I'm not self patronizing, I just wanted to share the joy of the audience applauding after a well rendered performance.

Pita Inn Market and Shawarma Bar

Pita Inn Market is probably one of my favorite mini-specialty grocery store. It specializes on Mediterranean stuff but it has so much more to offer than just Mediterranean groceries Our instructor for North African Cuisine elective, Chef Ami Sananes of The Culinary Experience brought us there on a tour.

What's really more popular is their Shawarma Bar, also called Pita Inn, right beside the grocery store in Skokie. Food is very inexpensive and really good. Everything tasted so fresh. I finished my Shawarma before I thought about taking a picture!

Pita Inn Market has so much to offer for groceries from around the world.

Exotic Teas

Mexican Biscuits

I just took a picture of it because it has my name on it. I go by Maria in school (like most Filipinos with Maria as their first name but we never really go by Maria back home do we?) because that's what shows up in the roster. My classmates were amused that I had biscuits for a namesake in the grocery.

Butter! Butter! And More Butter!

I really enjoyed this aisle of butter. My Indian friend Meenakshi told me that she would always cook with clarified butter. So I asked her, so you clarify butter at home? Because it's not something I normally do for home cooking. And she told me that Indians actually have clarified butter they can buy off the shelf.

GHEE! Clarified Butter right off the shelf!

It's called Ghee. I tried it once and it tasted a little nutty to me. It tasted like brown butter almost. Yum!

Coffee! Kape! Kopee!

Olive Oil and Grape Seed Oil

They have some of the best olive oils and grape seed oils of various grades. For excellent quality olive and grapeseed oils, the prices are quite reasonable.

Pita Inn Market is at 3922 Dempster St., Skokie, IL. Pita Inn Shawarma Bar is just right beside the grocery and they serve very good hommus and baba ghanouj