He who has been raised in a rural hamlet, who has picked his way over rutted roads gradually softening under springtime's suns, who has watched for nature's reawakening in field and wood lot, knows what I mean when I speak of spring's gifts having a soft and gentle sweetness. Hawthorne, violet, all the woodland flowers, are small and sweet, the budding leaves softly green. Rain and winds become more gentle, too, and the sun sheds a soothing warmth as different from summer's scorching rays as a goose-down pillow from a Chinese headiest.
But anyone raised in a food-loving country like France becomes aware at a very tender age that, entrancing as are the sights and scents of spring, there arc more tangible delights coming daily out of the springtime kitchen. He knows that only in spring are the dandelions and salad green so tiny, tender, and sweet, that no other asparagus has so distinctive a savor as the first spears that push their way through the spring soil. The gourmet knows that only in spring can he have les oeufs de vanneau cueillis dans les marécages; les fraises des bois, la petite reine des desserts; et, naturellement, l' agneau de Pâques—plover eggs gathered in waterside marches; wild strawberries known as the little queen of desserts; and, of course, Easter lamb.
Some call it l' agneau de Pâques, others, l' agneau pascal. Both mean Easter lamb, which, in turn, refers to something very special in eating: the tiny animal not old enough to graze or, at least, not allowed to, but nourished on milk. Lamb in this very young slate is available only for a short period, but it is sought after by everyone in France and is the pièce de résistance of all the hotels and restaurants, appearing on the more elaborate menus as baron de Pauil-lac à la grecque Mireille or in other delectable guises.
France is not alone in using lamb as a spring food symbolic of Easter. Most European countries use lamb in some of their traditional observances with religious significance. In Biblical history, it was the blood of a fresh-killed lamb, “without blemish, a male of the first year,” which was used to mark the doorposts of houses which the Lord would “pass over” when he smote down the first-born of Egypt. This was the last scourge visited upon Pharaoh for restraining the Israelites from starting their tiek into the Promised Land. The lamb itself was roasted and eaten according to a ritual that directed: “Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire.” Unleavened bread was also part of this ritual, which caused the Passover Feast to be known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
And because this all happened in the spring, it has been a springtime observance of the Jewish people ever since. It was the Passover which the Savior came to Jerusalem to celebrate when he gathered his disciples together for the Last Supper. The church consequently made that anniversary the most important fast day in the Christian year, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday became the feast day, a day when lamb is as essential to most Europeans as pancaes on Shrove Tuesday.
In Russia, Holy Saturday was the clay on which the devout served the roast lamb, although not until after the midnight mass, in the days of the czars. This special supper, as described to me by Mr. Pivert, a well-known chef in St. Petersburg, was very much like the French Christmas Eve, or réveillon, a kind of prelude to the feast day which follows. The lamb for this repast also had to be blessed by the archbishop or another high dignitary of the Orthodox Church. And it had to be seasoned with “purified” salt, the significance of which I have never learned, but it was important enough for every restaurant and hotel as well as every private home where the supper was served to go to considerable trouble to prepare. Purified salt was made by pounding together egg whites and salt to make a thick paste. wrapping this in cheesecloth, and heating it over a fire until the cheesecloth had entirely disappeared. A rocklike substance remained which was pounded until it would go through a fine sieve. Either a small lamb was roasted whole, or else the baron, which is that cut comprising the choice parts—the back, saddle, and two legs—all in one piece, was used. There were other delicacies served, usually cold roast capon and ham, colored and decorated eggs, a special Russian cheesecake, and a cake called kulitch (see GOURMET, March, 1951), which is similar to the French baba.
With so much of the tradition of lamb in my background, I was naturally surprised when I came to this country to find that ham was more the custom in early spring. I concluded that probably the climate had Something to do with it and that in Colonial times not many lambs actually saw the light of day before Easter because spring was late and cold in so many sections. And that eating them was too great an extravagance when the wool from the grown sheep was needed for winter clothing. It is probable. too. that the hams so carefully and thriftily cured in the autumn were at their best. In any case, tradition was built up around the serving of ham rather than lamb in the spring.
Today, there is statistical evidence that for every hundred pounds of pork products that come to market, only about four and one-half pounds of lamb arrive. And I understand, too, that 75 to 80 per cent of all the lamb produced is eaten in the metropolitan New York area. If this is true, then the rest of the country doesn't eat as much as one pound per person per year, hardly enough for one annual dinner of roast lamb. Why is such a delectable meat not in greater demand ?
Anyone who travels in France or in England in the springtime will encounter a great deal of lamb on the menus of the better eating places. In France, look for l'agneau de Pauillac and l'agneau de pré-salé. The former is the spécialité du pays of a small town near Bordeaux, from where it is sent to all the important cities. In Pauillac, such great care and thoroughness arc expended in stuffing the young animals with milk and the little cereal needed to fatten them that the meat is as delicate and white as chicken. The flesh of little lambs, if they are thin, can be quite dry and even tough, but never those of Pauillac. When I was first at the New York Ritz years ago, I imported them when they were in season to be roasted whole. But this was always difficult because they must be eaten fresh. Later on, I was able to secure lambs of the same type from Pennsylvania and Connecticut farms, for roasting or broiling or preparing in various ways. The stew and the blanquette made from the shoulder of a milk-fed lamb are dishes not easily surpassed.
But the pré-salé lamb is quite different. It should not be confused with the milk-fed Easter lamb, although for some reason it often is. Pré-salé means salt marsh or meadow, and a pré-salé lamb is one that has grazed there. The meat has a special flavor, almost aromatic in character. But obviously an animal that has been put out to graze is older and larger than a milk-fed one. Real connoisseurs can recognize pré-salé lamb, but a great many others only think they can. Some years ago when Mr. Andre Simon. world-renowned as a connoisseur of food and wine, visited this country, Mr. Keller, then the president of the Ritz Carlton. invited him to lunch, and also a writer who considered himself a gourmet of some note. “Prepare a simple but very good lunch, Louis,” Mr. Keller said to me, and since it was spring, I decided upon the following menu:
Filot of Herring with Creamed Mustard Rack of Baby Lamb Holder Asparagus Hollandaise Macédonia of Fresh Fruit with KirschDemi-Tasse
Lamb Helder is a roast garnished with artichoke bottoms sautéed in butter, sautéed tomatoes, Parisian potatoes rissolées, and slices of truffle. This particular day it was very, very delectable. Mr. Simon asked for me to come to the dining room to renew our acquaintance and told me how much he had enjoyed the lunch, The other gentleman added, “And I want to congratulate you on the good rack of pré-salé you served us.” At which Mr. Simon gave Mr. Keller and me a broad wink because the lamb served had certainly never seen a salt meadow and had none of the flavor of one.
The English are particularly fond of both lamb and mutton, and one is more apt to see it on menus than beef. The quality is very fine, and much of it, coming from the salt meadows of the many marshy sections found in a country surrounded by water, is unusually savory. An interesting fact about English mutton is that the sheep from certain sections have small legs but large chops, the famous English mutton chops. So your Britisher who talks of an English mutton chop means what he says, and that is something quite different from an extra thick, double lamb chop.
Lamb of good quality is recognizable in several ways. The shape of the back is one. It should be well formed and plump, with enough far, especially around the kidney. Another is the appearance of the flesh and the fat. The flesh should be firm and red, the fat firm and white, Young lamb should not be hung like beef, but should be eaten fresh. And many people do not realize that lamb is never so good in July, August, and September as it is in the spring and again later in the autumn.
There are three stages of lamb. First is the young milk-fed one; second, the spring lamb that is still quite young but has started to graze; and third, regular or winter lamb which has been feeding for six to eight months in the meadow. After the animal is a year old, he is mutton. Mutton, of course, has a stronger flavor, which makes it desirable to use more seasoning in cooking it. Garlic is very good, but mutton marinated like venison makes an exceptionally good roast.
In cooking lamb, you must remember that the very young, milk-fed produce should be thoroughly cooked—as well done as veal or pork. I start it in a moderately hot oven of about 400° F. and when it has begun to color, turn down the heat to about 350° F. A plump leg will usually take about 2 hours, a saddle about 1 hour, and a rack about 45 minutes. If the thickest parr is pricked with a metal skewer and the juice which follows when the skewer is withdrawn is clear with no pink tinge, it is well done. Also, there is a little piece of meat on the leg near the shank which separates from the remaining flesh when the meat is well done.
Spring or winter lamb is generally preferred medium-rare. A simple trick for testing this is to pierce the meat along the bone with a large kitchen needle (or a steel knitting needle) and let it remain there for about a minute. Put the end to your tongue immediately Upon withdrawing it. If the end of the needle is hot, the meat is rare; if very hot, it is medium-rare. To achieve a leg of lamb on the pink side, start it at 400° F. for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° F., allowing at this temperature 12 to 15 minutes per pound. The roast should be frequently basted with the far in the pan.
I believe that the leg is the most practical section for roasting at home. The cut is a fine one, and it can be carved to good advantage, taking care of many servings. To get the best-shaped slices, cut at right angles to the bone. To do this, grasp the bone in the left hand and start to carve by cutting off a small slice with a slightly scooped-out appearance. Leave about an inch of meat on the shank to cut against. Then cut slices following the curve of the first one and working your way up the leg. Each slice will have a curved appearance as it is cut, but will lie flat on the plate. Begin with the thick side of the leg, then turn and slice the other side in the same manner.
There are various ways of preparing roast leg of lamb, but the one most popular in France is à la boulangère, in which the potatoes arc cooked in the same pan. When sliced truffles are added to the dish, it is called sarladaise, For a more elaborate dish, I would suggestMaintenon, which is done with a purée soubise, or else foreslière, done with a purée of mushrooms.
Gigol d' Agneau à la Boulangère (Roast Leg of Lamb with Vegetables)
Rub a leg of lamb with salt, put it in the roasting pan, and spread with fresh beef drippings or lay over it a good piece of suet. Cook the leg in a moderately hot oven (400° F.) for about 1 hour, turning it to brown well all over. Remove the meat from the pan and discard the fat. Make the gravy and set it aside.
Meanwhile, mix together 6 to 8 potatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick, 1 onion, sliced very thin, and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Season with I teaspoon salt and a little pepper and spread them in the roasting pan. Add enough boiling water barely to cover the vegetables, spread 1 tablespoon butter over the top, and bring to a boil. Place the partially roasted lamb on the vegetables, return the pan to the oven, and continue roasting for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with the reheated gravy.
Gigot d' Agneau Maintenon (Leg of Lamb with Onion Purée)
Roast the leg of lamb as usual. When done, remove it from the oven to stand for about ½ hour. Carve the leg and reform it by putting the slices together with purée soubise (see below), spread thickly, and with sliced truffles. Spread Mornay sauce (see “The Last Touch”) over the leg and sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan. Set the dish on a pan of water and return it to the oven to glaze.
Purée Soubise (Onion Purée)
Make a thick béchamel as follows: Melt ¼ cup butter, add ¼ cup flour, and cook until the flour starts to turn golden. Add 2 cups hoi milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grains of pepper and cook, stirring vigorously, until the sauce is thick and smooth. Continue to cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until it becomes quite thick. There should be about 1 cup.
In another pan melt ¼ cup butter, add 8 large onions, chopped, and cook slowly, stirring, until they arc soft but not brown. Add ½ cup rice, 1 cup boiling water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover closely and cook over low heal for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the water is entirely cooked away. Hub through a line sieve and return to the fire to cook away surplus moisture, stirring briskly to avoid scorching. Add the very thick béchamel sauce and continue to cook, stirring until the purée is smooth and blended.
Gigot d' Agneau Forestière (Leg of Lamb with Mushroom Purée)
Follow the recipe for leg of lamb Maintenon, substituting purée of mushrooms for the purée soubise.
Purée of Mushrooms
Make a thick béchamel as for purée soubise. Clean and mince enough mushrooms to make 1½ cups, squeezing out surplus moisture. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, add the mushrooms. and cook until the moisture is evaporated, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Add the thick béchamel, cooking and stirring until thoroughly combined.
Another way of serving leg of lamb is not, I believe, too familiar to most Americans. It is called à la cuillère, which means with a spoon. In other words, the meat is cooked until it almost falls apart and can be removed from the leg and served with a serving spoon instead of being sliced with a knife. Done correctly, it is succulent and delicious.
Gigot d' Agneau à la Cuillère (Braised Leg of Lamb with a Spoon)
Trim the skin and fat from a leg of lamb. Spread about ½ cup mixed sliced carrots and sliced onions in a roasting pan and add a sprig of parsley, a bay leaf, and a cracked bone of mutton. Put the leg of lamb in the pan and into a moderate oven (375° F .) and cook until the meat is well browned. Add 1 ½ to 2 cups boiling water to prevent burning and cover (he pan with a piece of buttered paper. Reduce the heat to 325° F. and cook for about 5 hours, or until the meat is ready to fall apart, adding more water as needed. Remove the leg to a heated serving dish.
Strain the liquid in the pan and thicken it with arrowroot or cornstarch dissolved in a little water or sherry. Strain the gravy through a fine sieve. Serve the meat with a spoon instead of carving it, accompanied with the gravy.
In the matter of lamb chops, the most highly prized ones arc the loin and rib. but if the lamb is of good quality, the shoulder chops are excellent, too. They are also less expensive, and there is more eat on each chop. When cooked with vegetables, these chops provide a whole meal in one dish, often a great convenience. Here are three ways of preparing shoulder chops that I can recommend very highly.
Lamb Chops Bermuda
Season 6 thick shoulder lamb chops with salt and pepper and sauté them in good fat on both sides until goldenbrown. Drain off the fat. Add 6 onions, sliced, and 2 dtps stock or water and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes. Add 12 Bermuda potatoes, sliced, and 2 teaspoons chopped parsley. Correct the seasoning and continue to cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.
Lamb Chops Louise
Follow the recipe for lamb chops Bermuda and about 10 minutes before the cooking is finished, add 6 tomatoes, peeled, halved, and seeded.
Côtelettes d' Agneau Ménagère (Lamb Chops Family Style)
Season 6 thick shoulder lamb chops with salt and pepper and saute them in good fat on both sides until goldenbrown. Put them in a large saucepan with 2 leeks, chopped, 3 potatoes, sliced. 1 large onion, sliced, a clove of garlic. crushed, 1 quart white stock or water, 1 teaspoon salt, and a little pepper. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the chops to another pan and cover them with the following vegetables: 3 new carrots, sliced and parboiled for a few minutes, 2 onions, sliced, 1 to 2 cups green beans, cut in pieces. 3 potatoes, sliced. 3 stalks of celery, chopped, I to 2 cups fresh peas, and 2 small white turnips, sliced and parboiled for a few minutes. Rub the cooking liquid from the first pan through a fine sieve into a bowl and skim off the fat. Correct the seasoning with salt and pour the liquid over the meal and vegetables. Add 1 teaspoon chopped parsley and cook for 35 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are done.
For a stew that is a little different, I am giving you the recipe for one which has always been very popular at the Ritz Carlton, which is. in fact, a spécialité de la maison. It is very delicate because the sauce is a light one, thickened only with the starch of potatoes.
Irish Stew Ritz Carlton
Cut about 2 ½ pounds of lean lamb, preferably the lower ribs or shoulder, in fairly large pieces, which allows 2 to 3 pieces for each serving. Put the meat in a saucepan with enough water to cover and parboil for 5 minutes. Pour off the water and rinse the meat with cold water. Return it to the saucepan and add 1½ quarts hot water, 3 large onions, chopped, 3 large potatoes, chopped. 3 leeks. chopped, 1 clove of garlic, crushed, 3 stalks of celery, chopped, 2 teaspoons Salt, and a little pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for about 1 hour.
Lift our the meat and pur it in another pan, arranging on top 18 small white onions, 18 small potatoes, 12 small white turnips, and 18 tiny new carrots, all cleaned and peeled. Strain the cooking liquid, forcing through as much of the cooked vegetables as possible, correct the seasoning, and remove the fat. Pour this over the raw vegetables and cook for 45 minutes, or until the meat is done. Some green peas or green beans, cut in pieces, may also be added. Serve generously sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Two more lamb dishes that may be new to you are kebab and bpigramme, both of them crisp in character because they arc not cooked with a sauce.
Kebab of Lamb
Cut the tenderloin or any tender part of lamb into small pieces about 3/8 inch thick. Put them on a metal skewer with slices of onions and pieces of bay leaf. adding alternate square pieces of bacon and mushrooms between the pieces of lamb. Season with salt and pepper and marinate in oil for 1 to 2 hours. Broil under a hot fire until the meal is well browned all over. Serve with cooked rice or groats and tomato sauce.
Epigrammes d' Agneau (Breast of Lamb in Chops)
Boil 2 to 3 pounds of breast of lamb in seasoned water until tender. Remove all the bones and cool the meat on a platter with another platter on top, weighted down, to flatten the meat and press our the surplus fat. Cut the cold lamb in pieces about as large as chops and dip them in beaten egg and then in fine white bread crumbs. Cut an equal number of pieces of lamb cutlet to the same size and thickness and bread them in the same way. Grill the lamb under a moderate fire until the pieces are goldenbrown on both sides; or sauté them in butter. Alternate and overlap the breast and cutler pieces on a heated serving platter and garnish with any desired vegetable.
Finally, what to do with leftover lamb? It is usually the roasted leg that is left, because this is too large for many families to ear at one meal. A roast should not be recooked, or perhaps I should say it should be reheated only enough to be appetizingly hot. Long recooking of meat toughens it, and the flavor is never good. Hash is an excellent solution, and I can also recommended very highly:
Les Dessertes d' Agneau (Leftover Lamb au Gratin)
Slice the meat and overlap the pieces on a heatproof baking dish, spreading each slice with purée soubise or purée of mushrooms. Sprinkle with fine white crumbs and a little melted butter. Put in a moderately hot oven (400° F.) and bake until the crumbs have browned. The meat should be hot enough to cat but not actually cooked.