Sunday, January 05, 2014

Dinner at Kathy and Russel's

Saturday 21 December
Kathy and Russel have a new kitchen!  (Which they only had to wait more than twice the amount of time the contractors promised to get.)  They kindly invited us, Julie, and Holt's dad Harold over to inaugurate it with a pre-Christmas feast. 
While drinking wine and snacking on pickled okra and veggie chips, we got the full tour of the well-arranged and colorful premises, followed by the bounty thereof: tiny potatoes topped with scallions, golden whitefish caviar, and crème fraîche; a sweet and surprising purée of carrot and rutabaga; roasted brussels sprouts with pine nuts;  and this hearty, savory main course.
Lamb Stew
(Mark Bittman, adapted by KW)
3 pounds of lamb, cut into 2-inch cubes
oil
1 large shallot, chopped
3 Tablespoons minced fresh garlic
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 cup white wine
2 -3 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
Brown lamb in a little oil in the bottom of a large pot in which the stew will be cooked.  Remove browned lamb and cook garlic and shallots in the pot until soft.  Return lamb to pot and add remaining ingredients, with enough chicken stock to cover the meat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat, covered for about 2 – 2 1/2 hours, or until lamb is soft.  Can thicken sauce, if needed, by removing cover for the last part of the cooking time.
And as always, if you're cooking for children, don't mention the anchovies.

To top it off, Kathy served a hot crumble of apple and cranberry, with brown sugar streusel and vanilla ice cream.  Her food is always delicious, but the new kitchen seems to inspire her yet more.  Long may it do so!

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