Spring Lamb and Fresh Strawberrys

Wines:

Mc Price Myers
2003 Santa Ynez Valley Sirah Larner Vinevard
JC Cellars Syrah 2003 Fess Parker's Vineyard
Lingerfelder Satyr Brut NV

Spring Leg of Lamb

We decided to make Mark Peel’s Leg of Lamb with Rosemary, from Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton at Home. Mark serves this at his restaurant, our favorite: Campanile. It is a great recipe. Basically you bake the lamb surrounded by rosemary twigs. At the end of the cooking you take the roasting pot outside, open it up, set the rosemary on fire, let it build quickly to a roaring fire then place the top back on to extinguish the fire and smoke the lamb. It is a great recipe and very easy.

We made a potato gratin to go with it from Biba. The recipe was originally in Gourmet April 1994. It is very rich!

CHANTILLY-MASHED POTATOES BIBA

6 russet (baking) potatoes (about 3 pounds)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter,softened
3/4 cup milk, warmed ^
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (about 3 ounces)
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Wash potatoes and prick several times.
Bake potatoes on oven rack /45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork.
Halve potatoes lengthwise and cool until they can just be handled. Scrape out potato flesh and put through a ricer, in batches, set over a bowl.
Add butter and milk and salt, stir until smooth. Spread potatoes in a shallow 3-quart gratin dish.
Increase oven temperature to 500° F.
In a bowl with an electric mixer whip cream to soft peaks and fold in Gruyere. Spread cream mixture evenly over potatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake potatoes until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Serves 6.

Reheat Covered 350° for 10 minutes.



For dessert we had Strawberry's with Balsamic and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Bea joined us for dinner and provided the wines.