Traditional Lamb Stew
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds of lamb stew meat
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large onions, quartered
3 medium carrots, cut into one inch pieces
4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 ½ teaspoon minced fresh chives
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Directions
In a Dutch oven brown meat in 1 T oil over medium heat. Remove with a slotted spoon an set aside. Add onions, carrots, and remaining oil to a pan. Cook 5 minutes or until onions are tender—stir occasionally. Add potatoes, broth, salt, pepper, and lamb to onions and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until meat and veggies are tender.
With a slotted spoon, remove meat and veggies to a large bowl and keep warm. Pour pan juices into another bowl and set aside. In the Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 more minutes or until thick. Stir in Parsley, chives, and thyme. Add meat and vegetables and heat through.
Braised Oxtails with Symbius
Ingredients
¼ cup canola oil
1 large red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, light crushed with the side of a knife blade
½ cup all-purpose flour, or just enough to coat oxtails
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 pounds oxtails cut into 2 inch cross sections
1 (750ml) bottle of Prince Michel Symbius red wine (as demi-glace)
½ cup demi-glace
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig fresh Italian parsley
1 large sprig fresh thyme
4 Tablespoons butter
Directions
Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent. While they are cooking, season the flour with salt and pepper and coat the oxtails allowing any excess flour to fall away. Sear the oxtails on all sides in the pot with the onions and garlic, then remove them to a platter. De-glaze the pan with the red wine. Whisk in demi-glace and tomato paste and add by leaf, parsley and thyme. Lower heat and return oxtails to pot. Cover and let simmer until meat is tender—about 3 hours.
-Remove oxtails to another platter and cover, letting them rest in a warm place. Strain braising liquid into another pot to make it into a sauce. Spoon off any excess fat that may be on the surface. Increase heat, allowing the braising liquid to reduce by ½ to 2/3.
Serve with French bread coated with olive oil and garlic.
Sachertorte
Cake Ingredients
5 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup butter softened
5 eggs
¾ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 T butter softened
4 (1 ounce) squares chopped semi-sweet chocolate
6 T strong brewed coffee
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 T vanilla extract
½ cup apricot preserves
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Melt the 5 ounces of the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Remove from heat and let cool
Separate the eggs. Cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat the egg yolks in gradually until light in color. Add the melted, cooled chocolate and beat it in. Gradually add the sifted flour to the batter.
Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold them into the mixture. Pour batter into one ungreased 9 inch springform pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely before removing form pan to ice. Once cool remove from pan and slice cake horizontally. Set top half aside and spread filling of pureed jam between the layers. Cover with top layer and ice top and sides with warm Sachertorte icing.
To make Sachertorte Icing: melt 1 T butter and 4 ounces chocolate in double boiler over hot water. Add the coffee and beat well. Sift and add the confectioners’ sugar and 1 T vanilla. Spread the warm icing on the top and sides of the torte.
