CHEF'S CHOICE

Greetings,

Today happens to be my birthday, so I have decided to post one of my all time favorite recipes.  Simple flavors, but robust taste and comforting for this time of year.  I serve the orzo and green beans with the lamb and it makes a wonderful meal.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

LAMB SHANKS

Ingredients

• 4 (6 to 7-pound) leg of  Lamb Shanks
• Good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 2 heads of garlic, broken apart but not peeled
• 15 large sprigs fresh rosemary
• 15 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 bay leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until its hot. Add the lamb and sear on all sides for about 12 minutes, until its browned all over. Remove the lamb to a plate.

Add the wine and 2 cups of water to the pan and cook for a minute or two, scraping up all the brown bits in the bottom. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves and the lamb on top. Place the lid on the pot and bake in the oven for 4 hours, basting occasionally. (If you don’t have a lid, you can cover it tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil.)

After 4 hours, the lamb should be incredibly tender and falling off the bone. Remove the lamb to a plate, cover it tightly with foil and allow it to rest. Strain the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce. The lamb will be too tender to slice; serve it warm with spoons and the sauce.

Orzo with Feta, Green Beans and Tomatoes

 INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 pounds haricots verts (thin French green beans) or green beans

2 cups orzo (rice shaped pasta)

2 medium onions

4 garlic cloves

6 medium vine-ripened tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves

2 cups crumbled feta (about 12 ounces)

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Fill a 4-quart kettle 3/4 full with salted water and bring to a boil for beans and orzo.

Chop onion and mince garlic. Quarter and seed tomatoes. Cut quarters lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Trim beans and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a large skillet cook onion and garlic in oil over moderate heat until onion is softened. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until tomatoes are softened, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. In boiling salted water blanch beans 1 minute. With a slotted spoon transfer beans to ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans well in a colander and pat dry. Add beans to tomato mixture and return water in kettle to a boil. Boil orzo until al dente and drain in colander. Add orzo to bean mixture with vinegar, parsley, feta, and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to combine well.