Roasted Leg of Lamb Roman Style
This is such an easy Sunday meal. For this traditional Roman dinner, purchase 1/4 of a nice fat “abbacchio”. In Rome “abbacchio” is a very young lamb, which has been fed only with milk. I usually purchase my “abbacchio” from a nice butcher in the Arthur Avenue area of the Bronx. If you don’t want to buy 1/4 of a young lamb then just get a decent sized leg of lamb that will accommodate the size of your family (make sure it’s not been previously frozen). Insert cloves of garlic, both lean and fatty ham, chopped stalks of rosemary, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and brush all over with olive oil. Salt again and roast in a medium hot oven (350 degrees) for 1 hour together with lots of raw potatoes either whole (small potatoes) or cut into pieces (larger potatoes). After about half an hour, add 1 glass of dry white wine and turn the lamb over and cook the other side for another half an hour. When the lamb is done roasting, cut into pieces and serve with the potatoes, steamed asparagus and a nice chicory salad.
Note: By the way, if you’ve never been to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx then you’re really missing quite an experience. Forget Little Italy downtown because Arthur Avenue is the real deal although tourists have discovered it as well. A great time to go is during the Christmas season. Often times they have Frank Sinatra piped Christmas songs blaring from loud speakers posted high up on the lampposts. My Arthur Avenue butcher is a total crackup. He’s in a great mood during the Christmas season because according to him it’s the one time of the year that his wife is “nice” to him if you know what I mean and he’s not shy to chirp about it either. My husband is Italian and looks it so much that they say the map of southern Italy is stamped on his face. One time I needed to pick up a few things on a Saturday during the holidays and it was so busy that there was no parking to be found. My husband found a spot, but the meter was broken. There was a “group” of Italian men donned in the “I can’t fit in my clothes” velour track suits (adorned with gold chains carrying either St. Christopher or the Virgin Mary herself) hanging around by the broken metered parking spot. My husband was inspecting the broken meter worrying about a parking ticket when the guys pipe up, “Heeeey don’t worry bout it. We’ll watch to make sure you don’t get a ticket. We’ll take care of it.” Sure enough we get back to the car after about an hour and no ticket even though we could see the NYC parking police patrolling the streets. My husband said a sincere, “thank you” to which he received a sincere “don’t mention it” and we were on our way.
Easter Menu Ideas
The greatest feast of the Christian Church takes its name from that of Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn. The feast, however, has another name, the Pasch, the Greek word coming from the Hebrew pesakh, the Passover. This is the term for the feast which is used in nearly every language except English and German, but even these two languages use the words Paschal candle and Paschaltide. In the churches of the Eastern Orthodox the feast of Easter comes somewhat later than in the Western calendar, but the observance is as great, if not greater. Here are some Easter feast ideas that may be useful in your home this Sunday.
Easter Breakfast Or Brunch
Mini Frittatas: Cheddar, Asparagus, Sun-Dried Tomato, Swiss, Bacon or Mushroom
Spring Onion Quiches With Gruyere Cheese: Cooked Leeks & Onions With Cheese & A Savory Egg Custard Baked In A Tart Shell
Asparagus, Arugula & Goat Cheese Quiche: Asparagus, Baby Arugula & Goat Cheese Mixed With Egg Custard Baked In a Flaky Crust
Fresh Fruit Platter: Sliced Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon , Pineapple, Grapes & Berries
Easter Appetizers
Asparagus Rolled In Pancetta
Mini Spinach & Ricotta Calzone
Bruschetta
Crudites Platter: Celery, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green & Yellow Squash, Sliced Cucumbers, Red/Yellow/Green Bell Peppers, Grape Tomatoes And Baby Carrots
Cheese Platter: Classic American & European Cheeses Cubes & Wedges For Snacking. Serve With Almonds & Crostini
Shrimp Cocktail: Cook, Devein & De-shell Large Shrimp Serve with Lemons & Cocktail Sauce
Smoked Salmon Platter: Sliced Salmon With Chopped Red Onions, Capers, Cornichons, Mustard Sauce & Horseradish Sauce
Whole Boneless Poached Salmon: Poached In White Wine With A Light & Creamy Dill Sauce
Soups
Spring Pea & Onion Soup: Pureed Spring Pea & Onion Soup Made With Celery, Leeks, Garlic & Thyme
Carrot & Fennel Soup: Carrots, Fennel & Tomatoes Cooked In Vegetable Broth. Pureed Smooth
Salads & Side Dishes
Shrimp, Spring Pea & Morel Salad: Shrimp With Crispy Spring Peas, Morel Mushrooms & Tomatoes Lightly Tossed In A Lemon Vinaigrette
Golden Beet, Radish & Frisee Salad: Golden Beets, Radishes, Frisee Served With Goat Cheese, Pecans & Champagne Vinaigrette.
Grilled Asparagus: Marinate In Olive Oil & Kosher Salt. Grill
Gnocchi, Peas & Pancetta: Gnocchi, Peas, Panchetta, Ricotta Salata, Baby Arugula & Lemon Zest
Entrees
Honey Spiced Turkey Breast: Brine, Slow Roast Finished With Spices & Honey Glaze
Apricot Bourbon Glazed Ham: Apricot Jam, Honey, Dijon Mustard & Bourbon Combined & Poured On Top Of Ham Then Baked
Victoria’s Apricot Pork Tenderloin
Rosemary Rubbed Leg Of Lamb: Boneless Leg Of Lamb Marinated In Olive Oil & Herbs Then Roasted To Medium Rare
Grilled Salmon With Crispy Potato & Leek Fondue: Grilled Salmon Topped With Melted Spring Leeks With A Touch Of Cream & Crispy Fingerling Potatoes
Rack Of Lamb: Roasted With A Variety Of Spices
Desserts
Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Cake
Yellow Cake With White Chocolate Ganache
Victoria’s Caramel & Chocolate Pecan Bars
Fruit Tarts
Hot Cross Buns
