LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2017

2 cups (500 mL) firmly packed trimmed snow pea greens ¼ cup (60 mL) finely chopped mint

oven for 3 hours, stirring midway through to ensure braising liquid hasn’t become too thick; if necessary, thin with a little water. 5 Meanwhile, finely chop reserved whole green garlic stalks. Melt remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped green garlic and fry until lightly golden, about 2 minutes; add bread crumbs and stir to coat all in butter. Contin- ue to cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 6 Remove lamb from sauce and shred meat into bite-sized chunks with 2 forks; return to pot. If sauce is thin, thicken by reducing over medium heat to desired consistency, chop re- served green garlic tops and stir into sauce. 7 Cook orecchiette according to package directions and stir into hot sauce. Divide be- tween 4 shallow bowls and sprinkle each with a generous handful of the buttery crumbs. Serves 4

1 cup (250 mL) finely grated Pecorino Romano 1 Pour 6 cups (1.5 L) water into a large pot wide enough to accommodate the full length of the pasta. Add olive oil, lemon zest, juice and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. 2 Add the pasta, return to a boil and cook, stirring and tossing often with a pair of tongs, for 6 minutes. Add asparagus and continue to cook, stirring as you go, for another 2 minutes. Stir in peas and pea greens; cook 3 minutes longer, stirring carefully in the final minutes to prevent sticking. 3 Remove from heat, add final ½ cup (125 mL) water, or less, only if necessary to loosen sauce. Toss with mint and half of the cheese, divide between 4 warm bowls and pass remaining cheese around to top pasta. Serves 4 the new GARNISH from page 81 ITAL IAN Scatter a small handful of arugula leaves (pref- erably baby) and 4 julienned sun-dried toma- toes over 2 poached eggs on toast. Drizzle with 1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil. SERVEWITH: Smirnoff Ice Classic Caesar ( LCBO 178343, 4 pk, $9.95) CRI SP & PRETTY Pour ¾ cup (175 mL) vegetable oil into a medium saucepan and set over medium-low heat. When hot, add 2 thinly sliced shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally until crispy, 20 to 22 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Let cool. Serve 2 poached eggs on toast topped with crispy shallots, 2 slices of loosely rolled prosciutto and 2 shredded basil leaves. SERVE WITH: Mionetto Prosecco Treviso DOC ( LCBO 266023, $18.15) SPRING- INSPIRED Drain 1¾ oz (50 g) of buffalo mozzarella for about 10 minutes to remove excess liquid. Roll 4 mint leaves up like a cigar. Thinly shred. Serve poached eggs on toast topped with torn drained mozzarella, a small handful of pea shoots and prepared mint. SERVE WITH: Ara Pathway Sauvignon Blanc ( LCBO 416222, $14.95)

ORECCHIETTE WITH CURRIED LAMB RAGÙ

The key to success with this rule-breaking ragù is fresh, punchy curry powder. If in doubt as to the age of your curry, purchase new from a busy shop. Look for green garlic (a.k.a. spring garlic) at farmers’ markets. It’s likely the first local produce to make an appearance. If you’ll be trimming the lamb yourself rather than asking a butcher to do it, allow for an ex- tra ½ lb (250 g) when purchasing. 8 green garlic stalks 5 tbsp (75 mL) butter, divided 2 lbs (1 kg) boneless Ontario lamb leg, trimmed of exterior fat and cut into 4 pieces Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 onion, chopped 1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated ginger ⅓ cup (80 mL) mild or hot curry powder 1 can (798 mL) Italian tomatoes, roughly crushed 1 Trim root ends of green garlic and clean, re- moving tough skin around bulb only if neces- sary. Set 2 stalks aside for later use. Separate white portions from the green in the 6 remain- ing. Finely chop the white portions and set the green tops aside with the other 2 whole stalks. 2 Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). 3 Heat 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter over medium- high heat in a Dutch oven or other large oven­ proof pot. Season lamb pieces with salt and pepper; brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total, and remove to a plate. 4 Add onion to pot and cook until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in chopped green garlic and the ginger; cook 1 minute longer. Sprinkle curry powder over, stir to combine and fry un- til fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and stock to pan; stir. Nestle lamb pieces into pot; season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and place in preheated ½ cup (125 mL) chicken stock or water 2 cups (500 mL) coarsely chopped fresh bread crumbs (from day-old bread) 14 oz (400 g) orecchiette

ONE-POT SPRING L INGUINE

Have all your ingredients prepped before you begin and pay attention to the timing—this easy dish is all about when you add those perfect spring vegetables. What results is a creamy (without any cream!) lemony pasta and sauce worthy of a dinner party. Snow pea greens are a favourite Chinese vegetable and can be found at Asian grocers. To trim, re- move wiry curled tendrils at the tips, and any thick woody stalks. Use the remaining tender stems and leaves. You can substitute with an equal amount of baby spinach if you like. 6½ cups (1.625 L) water, divided ½ cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil Zest of 2 lemons, about ⅓ cup (80 mL) Juice of half a lemon, about 2 tbsp (30 mL) 2¼ tsp (11 mL) salt 1 lb (500 g) linguine 1 bunch, about 1 lb (500 g) thick asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 cup (250 mL) shucked fresh peas

112  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2017