LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2018

tastes of the season from page 130

5 Return skillet to stovetop over medium heat; pour red wine and stock into pan, bring to a boil and reduce by two-thirds. Whisk in jelly. Remove from heat, add butter and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper. 6 Serve lamb on bed of herbs with sauce alongside. Serves 4 to 6 WHAT TO SERVE Long Meadow Ranch Merlot 2013 LCBO 370824 (Destination Collection at lcbo.com) $53.80 Merlot’s dark fruit flavours and velvety tannins are a superb pairing for roasted lamb. This splendid Napa Valley wine has a complex floral and dried herb char- acter that is in harmony with the dish. Carpineto Dogajolo Rosso Toscano IGT LCBO 361501 $16.95 Dogajolo is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet, with leathery and earthy notes that find harmony with the herbs used in the recipe. Use the same wine when mak- ing the pan sauce. BALSAM & CITRUS TART Dried balsam has a startling cotton candy aroma and the dried needles work beautifully in desserts. This tart features their use in two of its components—lending its fragrance to the delicious filling and then in syrup to candy sea- sonal citrus. Working the double cream into the filling by hand ensures you don’t overwork it and cause it to become granular. CANDIED MANDARIN & SYRUP 1 cup (250 mL) water ⅓ cup (80 mL) sugar ⅓ cup (80 mL) honey ⅓ cup (80 mL) loosely packed dried balsam Cheesecloth 2 mandarin oranges 1 sheet (half a 454 g pkg) pre-rolled puff pastry Flour for dusting FILLING ¼ cup (60 mL) loosely packed dried balsam 1 pkg (250 g) cream cheese, softened ½ cup (125 mL) icing sugar

1 For the Candied Mandarin & Syrup, combine water, sugar and honey in a medium pot over medium heat; stir to dissolve sugar. Roughly crumble balsam over a double layer of cheese- cloth large enough to enclose the needles; tie ends together and add to pot. 2 Trim ends from mandarins and squeeze the juice from the ends into pot; thinly slice re- maining mandarin and remove pits. Add to pot and bring to a gentle boil; reduce to low and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until peels are translucent and syrup has reduced to a scant ⅓ cup (80 mL). Gently remove slices to a rack and set aside; discard balsam. Reserve syrup. 3 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). 4 Unroll pastry on a lightly floured surface; lightly dust top with flour. Roll out into a 12‑inch (30-cm) square. Roll up using your roll- ing pin and fit into a 9-inch (23-cm) tart tin, gently pressing into sides; trim excess. Prick bottom with a fork; line with parchment and baking weights (or dried beans) and chill in fridge for 20 minutes. 5 Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, re- move weights and parchment and continue to bake for another 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and crisp. 6 Meanwhile, make the filling. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, finely grind the balsam. Add to a food processor along with the cream cheese, icing sugar, honey and feta; pro- cess until very smooth. Turn out into a bowl and, using a spatula, stir in double cream. 7 Once crust is cool to the touch, add filling and spread to the edges. Chill tart for at least 1 hour and up to a day. Serve slices garnished with the candied fruit, syrup and almonds. Serves 10 to 12 WHAT TO SERVE Batasiolo Bosc d’la Rei Moscato d’Asti DOCG LCBO 277194 $16.95 With delicate fruity and floral notes, Moscato d’Asti is a classic pairing for tarts and simple fruit-based des- serts. Light effervescence adds a lovely texture to the experience. Henry of Pelham Special Select Late Harvest Vidal VQA LCBO 395228, 375 mL $19.95 This late-harvest Vidal complements the dessert with a balanced sweetness while subtle herbal notes open up a pathway for the balsam flavours in the tart.

LAMB ON A BED OF HERBS

This simple recipe uses a bundle of evergreen herbs you’re already familiar with—thyme and rosemary. Those of you with green thumbs likely know that neither plant sheds its leaves and that both remain green overwintered in- doors. Roasting the lamb racks on a bed of herbs fills the house with incredible smells, and the crisped remnants of the herbs help flavour the pan sauce too.

Generous bunch rosemary Generous bunch thyme ½ tsp (2 mL) fennel seed, lightly crushed 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 tbsp (60 mL) olive oil, divided Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 racks lamb chops, 8 ribs each SAUCE ½ cup (125 mL) red wine ½ cup (125 mL) beef or lamb stock 2 tsp (10 mL) redcurrant jelly 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). 2 Chop enough rosemary to measure 2 tsp (10 mL) and enough thyme to measure 1 tbsp (15 mL); set remainder of herb bunches aside. Add chopped herbs to a small bowl along with the fennel seed, garlic and 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil; season with salt and pepper. 3 Heat remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat; season lamb and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Remove skillet from heat and lamb to a board, fat-side up; brush lamb with herb mixture. 4 Arrange remaining herb sprigs in the hot pan, evenly distributing. Lay racks over herbs doing your best to avoid crowding lamb. Roast for 20 minutes for medium-rare. Remove lamb to a board; tent with foil. Arrange cooked herbs on a platter, leaving behind any small bits of crisped needles or thyme leaves that remain in the pan.

¼ cup (60 mL) honey 3 oz (85 g) feta cheese 1 bottle (170 g) Devon double cream ¼ cup (60 mL) roughly chopped toasted almonds

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222  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2018