27149667
Since Easter comes early this year, seasonal fresh vegetables such as asparagus, English peas and fava beans may not have arrived in the markets. If you are preparing holiday dinner, you might look to vegetables available fresh year-round.
Deciding on an entr�e or two is much easier. Ham, turkey, a stuffed capon or Cornish game hens are delicious choices. Lamb is traditional in Italian homes as well as Greek homes, although Greek Orthodox Easter will occur this year around the time of Passover.
A good roast is the easy solution of what to cook for dinner. There are all sorts of cuts of beef and lamb in butcher shops and markets. A standing rib or filet roast is expensive, but you have no waste. The leftovers are delicious. An eye round is another choice. It is less expensive and adapts to all sorts of sauces. No one I know would turn their nose up at a succulent pot roast. I always buy chuck and have the butcher tie it to keep its shape during roasting.
Cornish game hens stuffed with wild rice are a tasty alternative to chicken or turkey. The recipes for Cornish game hens and roast beef are from "Judith Huxley’s Table For Eight," one of my favorite cookbooks.
Cornish Game Hens Cooked in the Manner of Quail
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of seedless raisins
1/3 cup of golden raisins
1/2 cup of Cognac
8 Cornish game hens, each weighing less than 1 pound
3 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of oil
16 juniper berries
1-1/2 cups of beef stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Directions:
Place the raisins in a bowl and pour in the Cognac. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for three to four hours.
Leave small hens whole. If using larger ones, cut in half along the backbone. Pat them dry with paper towels.
Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy pot, preferably enamel on cast iron. Two pots can be used if necessary. Divide the ingredients between them.
In a pan over high heat, brown the hens on all sides, one or two at a time. Return to the pot and add the raisins with the Cognac, berries, stock, salt and pepper. The dish can be prepared to this point an hour or two in advance.
To complete the cooking, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, then place in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the hens to a warm platter. Add the cream to the pots and cook over high heat, stirring for a few minutes. Spoon the sauce, raisins and berries over the hens.
Serves eight.
Horseradish Sauce
Ingredients:
1 4-ounce bottle of horseradish
1/2 teaspoon of dried mustard
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon of Confectioner’s sugar
6 drops of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup of heavy cream
Directions:
Spoon the horseradish into a fine strainer and press out as much vinegar as possible. Discard the vinegar.
Combine the horseradish in a bowl with the mustard, bread crumbs, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Whip the cream and combine with the horseradish mixture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until needed.
Makes about two cups.
Roast Beef with Pan Gravy and Horseradish Sauce
Ingredients:
1 4-pound long, narrow, eye round roast, with a thin layer of fat tied to the top
1-1/2 cups of beef stock
1 bunch of watercress, washed and dried
Horseradish sauce (see recipe above)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the meat in a roasting pan and roast for one hour and 10 minutes. Place on a carving board, remove the strings and the fat and allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving into thin slices.
To make the pan gravy, add the beef stock to the pan, bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits, until the juices have reduced a bit.
Arrange the meat in overlapping slices in two rows down the length of a serving platter with a mound of watercress at each end. Serve the pan gravy in a sauceboat and the horseradish sauce in a small bowl.
Serves eight.
Note from Phyllis: You can rub the roast with canola oil instead of using a layer of fat.
Boneless Leg of Lamb
Ingredients:
1 4- to 5-pound boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and tied
1/2 cup of olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups of dry white wine
Fresh rosemary leaves, to taste
Directions:
On the night before serving, wipe the lamb dry with paper towels. Place in a large pan, coat with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Add the wine and rosemary. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator over night. Turn the lamb from time to time.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Bring the lamb to room temperature. Place in a large roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes to one hour for rare to medium-rare.
Remove from the oven. Cut off the strings and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Serves eight.
