Volume 11, Issue 124 - December 21, 2006

Greetings,

A little American lamb....a little wine...a great combination for the holidays.

American Lamb Marries Perfectly with Wines from Around the World

Acclaimed Wine Expert Karen MacNeil Reveals
Why American Lamb and Wine are a Sensational Marriage

While countless home cooks and chefs have already discovered the wonderful versatility and pure, mild, delicious flavor of American lamb, there's another reason to enjoy lamb. According to wine expert Karen MacNeil, author of the best selling book The Wine Bible (Workman Publishing), American lamb is the perfect all-around meat for wine. "American lamb is the quintessential accompaniment for a wide variety of wines from around the world - reds, whites, and roses," says MacNeil. "A glass of great wine brings out lamb's succulent, mild, meaty flavor and makes it even more irresistible."

The History of Lamb and Wine

The practice of pairing lamb and wine is actually quite historic. In fact, European traditions can provide inspiration for the modern matching of American lamb and wine. "Throughout Europe, the affinity between lamb and wine is centuries old," explains MacNeil. The reasons, she says, are two-fold. "First, with availability from the easternmost islands of Greece to the westernmost coasts of France, Spain and Portugal, lamb has historically been the most popular meat in the Mediterranean, the birthplace of wine. Consuming lamb and wine together was considered so utterly natural it was almost instinctive," says MacNeil. "Grazing sheep and planting vineyards continue to be a European way of life. That's why so many of Europe's most famous wines are served alongside American Lamb in the United States."

Flavor has also played an important role. American Lamb's remarkable flavor and succulent texture has traditionally lent itself to hundreds of different culinary interpretations and thousands of dishes based on numerous cuisines. According to MacNeil, American Lamb is well suited for an enormous range of wines from French Bordeaux to Spanish Rioja to Italian Chianti.

"There is something especially satisfying about the dynamic interaction between the rich flavors of lamb and wine," says MacNeil. "A bite of lamb makes you want to take a sip of wine, and a sip of wine makes you want to take a bite of lamb. It's the perfect see-saw."

Source: American Lamb Board

American Lamb Council How to buy, store and prepare lamb. Food service cuts available; plus recipes, sauces, and serving ideas for cooking.

Family Favorite Holiday Lamb Leg with Roasted Potatoes

Makes 12 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 to 2-1/2 hours

Ingredients:

6 to 7 pounds American Lamb leg, trimmed of visible fat
salt and pepper to taste
12 medium red potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup marmalade
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
6 rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preparation:

Coat potatoes with oil and place around edge of roasting pan. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt. Place rack in pan and arrange lamb roast on rack. Season lamb with salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 325 degrees F.

Combine marmalade, mustard seeds and thyme. Halfway through roasting, baste lamb with marmalade mixture.

Roast to desired degree of doneness. When lamb is done, cover and allow to stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve with roasted potatoes.

Garnish with rosemary.

Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board

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Is There a "Best Wine" for Lamb Today?

Yes. The one you are planning to drink. "As someone who cooks with American Lamb all the time and who tastes about 3000 wines a year, I can attest to the fact that lamb goes with a surprising number of wine styles and varieties of wine," says MacNeil. The exact wine she chooses depends on the cut of the lamb and how it's prepared.

For example, with American Lamb stews and slow-braised dishes such as shanks, MacNeil loves a saturated, rich Shiraz. With a seared American rack of lamb, she chooses a well structured Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. White wines and roses are great partners too. When MacNeil incorporates lamb into salads, she loves to serve Sauvignon Blanc. And in summer with grilled lamb and vegetable kabobs, she'll serve a well chilled dry rose.

"Matching wine and food is about creativity and commonsense," she says. "People who pair wine and food together don't have a set of rules as much as they have good instincts," says MacNeil. "It's more of an art than science. It's also a matter of paying attention to the principles that emerge when drinking different kinds of wines with a given dish."

Source: American Lamb Board

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American Lamb Dumplings with Goat Cheese Crema

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

Dumplings:

3 pounds ground American Lamb
3 tablespoons garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons ginger root, minced
3 cups bread crumbs
12 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
6 tablespoons chiffonade basil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

72 goyza or wonton skins

Goat Cheese Cream Sauce:

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
6 tablespoons white wine
1-1/2 quarts heavy cream
4 pounds goat cheese, softened
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

Garnish:

chiffonade basil and mint leaves as needed

Preparation:

For Dumplings:

Mix the ground lamb with all the other dumpling ingredients. Lay out 24 goyza or wonton skins. Brush the outside edges of the skins with egg wash. Place a generous 1/2-ounce meat mixture in the center of each skin and fold securely. Repeat process preparing all dumplings. Drop dumplings in a large pot of salted boiling water and cook approximately 6 minutes; the meat should be cooked through.

For Goat Cheese Cream Sauce:

Add oil to skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add shallots. Once shallots start to sizzle, add garlic. Stir and sauté until they just begin to color. Deglaze with white wine. Add cream and cook until mixture begins to thicken; remove from heat. Whisk the goat cheese into the cream until smooth. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked dumplings to the sauce and gently toss to coat evenly. Garnish with a chiffonade of fresh basil and mint.

Recipe source Chef Kevin Marquet, The 9th Door, Denver, Colorado

Recipe provided by the American Lamb Board