The Modern Day Negroni with Grilled Lamb Lollipops
Lots of people I know scrunch up their noses when I say I’m cooking lamb. When I ask them what they don’t like about it, their answer is always the same. They say they don’t like that strong gamey taste and the fatty texture. Then I invite them to try some of the lamb I’ve cooked, and their reaction is always the same: they love it. How can they go from disliking something all their lives to truly coming to enjoy it? I’m no great chef, so it’s not that. It’s something more basic, I think. It comes right down to how the meat is prepared before being cooked, and then it comes down to how it’s cooked. I marinate almost everything because it subtly flavours and brings out the best of the meat. Sometimes the marinade tenderizes it, too. With lamb, I always use a lemon juice and olive oil base with the addition of garlic, rosemary sprigs, a sprinkling of salt. When possible, I grill the lamb over charcoal. But, baking it works just fine. I find that that little bit of flavouring goes a long way in cutting through the meat’s natural fattiness. The Grilled Lamb Lollipop recipe below uses a similar, and very delicious, marinade, and pairing it with a negroni completes the bill.
Grilled Lamb Lollipops
Lamb was a very popular dish to serve at soirées during the 1920s as it was often perceived as a show of wealth. This recipe takes the classic dish and gives it a modern twist by serving it on a trendy lollipop stick. The sauce will liven the flavours of the accompanying cocktail.
Ingredients
- 2 large cloves Garlic
- 1 sprig Rosemary
- 5 Juniper berries
- 1 tsps Fresh thyme leaves
- Pinch Crushed chili
- Coarse sea salt
- 2 Tbsps Extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 Lamb rack chops, about 3/4-inch thick
- 5 Juniper berries
- 4 Tbsps Gin, warmed
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 sprig Rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Coriander seeds
- ¼ cup Parsley leaves
- 6 Tbsp Olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
- Rub marinade thoroughly over the lamb chops and store, wrapped tight in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
- Puree all ingredients in a blender – reserve for service
- To Serve:
- Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking, add chops and sear for about 2 minutes.
- Flip chops over and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare and 3 1/2 minutes for medium.
The Modern Day Negroni
The Negroni is a classic drink steeped in history and every serious connoisseur’s favourite aperitivo. Originally developed in 1921 in Florence at Caffé Cassoni and invented by Fosco Scarcelli for Count Camillo Negroni. The addition of orange juice and orange bitters to the Modern Day Negroni provides a sweeter, updated taste to the traditionally strong drink. This cocktail complements the herbaceous and weightiness of the Grilled Lamb Lollipops with Gin & Coriander Sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 oz (30 mL) Bombay Sapphire
- 1 oz (30 mL) Campari
- 1 oz (30 mL) Martini Rosso
- 1 oz (30 mL) Orange juice
- 2 dashes Orange Bitters
Instructions
- Build into an ice filled glass
- Garnish: Rosemary or thyme sprig. Lemon zest discard
- Glass: Old fashioned