Northern Italian Cooking - Class 2: Lamb, Polent, Pasta e Fagioli

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
This is a solid way to respect the rack of lamb.

• 1 Rack of Lamb, Frenched
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 sprig Sage
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 1 sprig Thyme
• 1 sprig Mint
• Bread Crumbs
• Olive Oil
• Flour for dredging
• 1 egg, beaten
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper

Work the garlic into a paste. Chop the herbs coarsely. Mix garlic and herbs into the breadcrumbs with just enough olive oil to hold it together: squeeze it in your hand to see that it holds together.

Season the rack of lamb, dredge in flour, coat in eggwash, then pack on a nice even layer of breading.

Brown the rack of lamb in a large skillet using vegetable oil, then finish it in the oven at 350F for 10-14 minutes (10 minutes will be rare).

Rest the rack for 7 minutes before cutting. This will relax the muscle and allow it to re-absorb moisture.

Optional sauce: Reduce balsamic vinegar by 1/2 and then emulsify with some olive oil (2:1 oil to reduction). (NOTE: I wasn't able to successfully emulsify when I tried it... maybe there's a trick to it).

Polenta with Gorgonzola in Mushroom Sauce
This recipe has potential. The mushroom sauce is great, but the polenta itself needs some work... it's too plain and rubbery. Perhaps making it with stock or cream in place of water would help... maybe melting the cheese into the polenta, instead of layering, would do the trick.

• 250 g Polenta Flour (instant)
  
• 1.25 L Water
• 4 Portobello Mushrooms
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 clove Garlic
• 500 mL Beef Stock
• Salt and Pepper

Slice the mushrooms 1" by 1/2" by 1/4" or so. Saute the onion and garlic in a pan until soft. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and continue to saute for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add enough stock to just cover the mushrooms, bring to a simmer, and reduce.

Bring 1.25L of seasoned water to a rolling boil. Using a whisk, stir constantly as you slowly add the polenta flour. Keep stirring. Never walk away from polenta. When it gets thick, splash some water into a baking dish or form, then immediately pour the polenta into the dish a little at a time, alternately layering with gorgonzola until the form is full. Let set 5 to 10 minutes, then flip onto a serving dish. Top with mushroom sauce, and drizzle with olive oil.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup
A hearty soup for fall or winter.

• 500 g Romano Beans
• 200 g Pancetta or Lard
• 1 medium Onion, fine dice
• 1 stalk Celery, small dice
• 1 carrot, small dice
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 sprig Sage
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch Parsley
• Small pasta

Soak the beans overnight, then drain the next day. Alternatively, use a can of cooked beans. Dried beans will maintain their shape and texture a bit better. Rinse and drain the beans.

In a stock pot, heat the lard/ pancetta to release some fat. Soften onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Add herbs and bay leaf, beans, and water or stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beans are just tender: when you pinch it, it will burst.

Remove 1/2 of the beans and blend into a puree with some of the liquid. Return to soup pot and continue to simmer. Season to taste, and finish with chopped parsley.

Cook the pasta in a separate pot, and leave aside until serving. This will prevent the pasta from getting mushy.