Shishliki on the Lamb

So there I was, dashing along Hwy #5 to Kamsack, when I spied a sign for shishliki. So, I turned in. It was a sheep farm and the shishliki was made by the farmer. Who could resist? I bought a few packages before heading on my way.

Shishliki is marinated lamb or pork done in a style that was brought to Saskatchewan by immigrants from Russia. It's a popular delicacy in the Canora-Yorkton area. In fact, Sat., June 25 is Shishliki Day in Veregin.

I made shishliki once myself using venison and this recipe from the old Time-Life Foods of the World series. Darn good...

Spring - Here's Proof!

The young lambs are frolicking on the farm of Mark and Lynn Lane near Regina. Catch the action on this you-tube video from the farm. Check out all the farm's organic offerings on the website of FarmGateFoods.

Soup Week 14 - Lamb and Three Lentil

This week's soup is Lamb and Three Lentil - brown, green and little red lentils. All grown in Saskatchewan, of course.

Technique:
Chop one onion, several cloves of garlic and a few carrots. Saute on medium low in a couple big glugs of canola oil until soft. While cooking, stir in dried crumbled sage and thyme.

Add the lentils - about two cups in total, maybe a bit more. Turn up the heat to medium. Stir lentils so they're well coated with onins and oil until they're shiney and starting to stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add a meaty lamb bone. Cover generously with water (I used homemade lamb broth). Boil, then turn heat down to a simmer for an hour to more. Skim the foam off the top a couple of times. Add more water as it cooks down. After a good simmer, turn off the heat and cool soup down. Remove the lamb; pull the meat off the bone, cut into small pieces and put the meat back into the soup.

Reheat the soup. Flavour with salt and pepper to you taste. Yummm.

Finally, herbs from the garden - CHICKPEA TOMATO SALAD

Supper was a mix of fresh and dried herbs. I picked the tiniest handful of mint, parsley and cilantro in my garden. However, I marinated the lamb with a blend of dried Greek herbs from Deb's of La Ronge. It's a flavourful mixture that comes in regular and law-salt. It was a gift, so I don't know where to buy it. If you're interested, you'll find Deb's contact info here.

Chickpea Tomato Salad

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained

3 green onions, sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped finely

2 tomatoes, chopped

8 slices of cucumber, quartered

2 tbsp herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbso fresh-squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything well before dinner so the flavours blend.

Lebanese feast - KIBBI NAYEH

My girlfriend Paula came to visit from Calgary and we cooked a feast together. Paula is of Lebanese heritage and she cooks instinctively, without recipes. The great thing is, a Lebanese feast can be prepared with foods produced in Saskatchewan. We needed very few ‘imported’ foods like lemons, olives and cheese. The most amazing dish was Kibbi Nayeh, raw ground lamb with crushed wheat.

Here’s the full menu:

Mezze (appetizers) each on individual plates: sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber, warm fava beans, black olives, hummus, halloum cheese, plain Mediterranean yogurt and Kibbi Nayeh, with fresh homemade pita bread.

Main: grilled lamb kabobs, chicken baked with ta'ratoul (olive oil, garlic, salt and lemon juice), cooked Kibbi and a tomato salad.

Dessert: pears in honey and mint.

KIBBI NAYEH
Start with the freshest (or fresh frozen) lamb. In Paula’s family, Kibbi Nayeh is made on the same day the lamb is slaughtered. We made it with organic Saskatchewan lamb (raised by the Richardson sisters) which was frozen shortly after slaughter.

1 shoulder of lamb, freshly ground (about 2 pounds)
4 green onions
Handful of fresh mint
Handful of fresh basil
2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp mace, cinnamon and cumin
1 cup cracked wheat (called ‘burghul’ in Lebanon)

Put the onions, mint and basil through the meat grinder, and mix into the ground lamb along with the spices. Cover the cracked wheat with water and let stand 10 minutes, until softened. Drain well. Mix the cracked wheat and the meat mixture, and knead as you would bread dough, adding a drop of water from time to time, until the mixture is smooth. Taste the mixture and add more spice to suite your taste. Paula says salt and pepper are the most important spices; the others should be evident but more subdued.

To serve, place the lamb mixture into a flat serving bowl. Using a finger, run three furrows the length of the lamb. Drizzle olive oil into the furrows. Garnish the dish with thin green onions and fresh mint. To eat, spoon the Kibbi Nayeh onto pita bread and top it with a green onion and a mint leaf.

For the cooked version of Kibbi – after kneading the mixture, press it into a square cake pan. Slice it into diamond shapes. Make a hole in the centre and pour on olive oil to cover the meat. Bake at 450F for 20-30 minutes. To serve, slice along the diamond-shaped marks and arrange on a warm plate, garnished with springs of mint.