LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

1 Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or un- til reduced to 1½ cups (375 mL). Reserve. 2 Combine vinegar, brown sugar and Ras el Hanout over medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Stir in reduced stock. Simmer gently for about 6 to 8 minutes or until sauce is thick and glossy and coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt if needed. Set gastrique aside and reheat when needed. 3 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). 4 Rub 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil into lamb racks, then evenly sprinkle over about 1 tbsp (15 mL) Ras el Hanout on each rack until well coated. Sea- son with salt. 5 Heat remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in a large skillet over high heat and brown racks, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Place on a rack in roast- ing pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes for medium-rare or until meat reaches desired doneness. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. 6 Slice racks into individual chops, giving 3 or 4 per person, and drizzle with spiced gastrique. Serves 4 RAS EL HANOUT Double the recipe to have more on hand and use it on pork and beef. It will keep for up to 6 months. Occasionally I add 1 tsp (5 mL) star anise into it when I want a slightly more lico- rice profile. That works well with chicken, for example.

salt and pepper. Add steaks to pan and sear for 3 minutes. Flip and sear for 3 more min- utes. Flip again, basting steaks with the butter and oil and cook for another minute. Repeat on other side for medium-rare. Remove to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes. 5 Serve the béarnaise in a small ramekin on the side or spoon over meat. Serves 4

BEEF FI LLET STEAKS WITH BROWN BUTTER BÉARNAI SE

Brown butter is trendy right now and a brown butter béarnaise hits all the right notes. Serve the sauce at room temperature or reheat very gently to make sure it does not separate. Serve with sautéed leeks, a few green beans and a potato gratin for maximum appeal. BROWN BUTTER BÉARNAISE ½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter 2 tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) water 4 tsp (20 mL) chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried 2 tsp (10 mL) minced shallots 6 black peppercorns ½ cup (125 mL) full-fat mayonnaise Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter 4 fillet steaks, each 6 to 8 oz (175 to 250 g) Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 For béarnaise, place butter in a skillet over medium heat, watching that it does not burn, and cook until butter turns brown and has a nutty taste, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 2 Combine vinegar, water, half the tarragon, shallots and peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until reduced to 1 tbsp (15 mL). Strain. 3 Combine mayonnaise and vinegar mixture in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in room tem- perature brown butter. Sauce will thicken. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir in re- maining tarragon. 4 For steaks, heat oil and butter in a large skil- let over medium-high heat. Season beef with

RACK OF LAMB WITH SPICED GASTRIQUE

Tired of garam masala and other spice com- binations? Ras el Hanout is a North African spice mixture that is not hot but has a beauti- ful layered flavour. You can buy Ras el Hanout at some supermarkets and specialty shops that have a good Middle Eastern spice selec- tion. The mixture varies and is usually handed down through families. The recipe here is my personal favourite as I have adjusted it to suit my taste. A gastrique is a reduced sauce with a touch of sweetness. This one enhances the lamb flavour. Serve with sautéed sliced zuc- chini and a combination of mashed roots such as potatoes, turnips and parsnips. Store any extra spice mixture for another use. SPICED GASTRIQUE 2 cups (500 mL) veal or beef stock, homemade or store-bought, low sodium 3 tbsp (45 mL) balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) Ras el Hanout (recipe follows) Salt 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 2 racks of lamb, about 1¼ lbs (625 g) each 1 tbsp (15 mL) Ras el Hanout

1½ tsp (7 mL) coriander seeds 1 tsp (5 mL) black peppercorns 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin seeds 1 tsp (5 mL) ground turmeric ½ tsp (2 mL) ground allspice ½ tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon ½ tsp (2 mL) ground ginger ¼ tsp (1 mL) freshly ground nutmeg ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground cardamom ½ tsp (2 mL) salt

1 Toast coriander seeds, peppercorns and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium- low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool slightly and process in spice grinder until fine powder. Stir in turmeric, allspice, cin- namon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Makes about 2 tbsp (30 mL)

248  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2016