Skewered Lamb With Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette And Endive Salad With Blue Cheese Serrano Ham And Pears Recipes

SKEWERED LAMB WITH RIOJA RED WINE VINAIGRETTE AND ENDIVE SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE, SERRANO HAM AND PEARS

Steps:

• Make the vinaigrette: In a medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat, reduce the wine to 1/4 cup. Place it in a blender with the vinegar, mustard and honey and blend until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. May be refrigerated up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Make the lamb: Soak 8 bamboo skewers 6 inches long in water for 2 hours or overnight. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, rosemary and lamb and marinate the lamb 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator. Prepare a grill or broiler. Thread the lamb cubes and roasted onions on the skewers and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill until rare to medium-rare, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Place the skewers on a serving platter and drizzle the Rioja vinaigrette over them. Can serve with instant couscous made with chicken stock.
• Blue Cheese Dressing: Whisk together the creme fraiche, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold in blue cheese and romano.
• Salad: Heat the oil in a small saute pan over high heat until smoking. Add the ham and cook until crisp. Place the endive and frisee in a large bowl, toss with some of the dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the greens among four plates and top with some of the ham. Place 3 pear slices around the plate and sprinkle with some of the almonds.

SKEWERED LAMB WITH SPICY POMEGRANATE-RIOJA RED WINE VINAIGRETTE AND MINT-ALMOND RELISH

Steps:

• For the skewered lamb: Combine the oil, garlic, parsley, rosemary and thyme in a bowl. Add the lamb, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer the refrigeration time, the better.
• For the spicy pomegranate-rioja red wine vinaigrette: Combine the pomegranate juice, wine, peppercorns, thyme and 1 tablespoon honey in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until the syrup is reduced to 1 cup. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool. Remove the thyme and peppercorns with a spoon.
• Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon honey, mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the red wine syrup. Cover and refrigerate the remaining syrup to keep up to 1 month. Yield: about 1 cup.
• Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
• Preheat a charcoal grill for direct grilling. Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides. Thread 2 or 3 pieces of the lamb onto each skewer, so the lamb lays flat. Grill the lamb until golden brown and charred on both sides and cooked to medium doneness, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer the lamb to a sheet pan. Drizzle the lamb with some Spicy Pomegranate-Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette and let sit for 5 minutes.
• For the mint-almond relish: Mix the almonds and mint and sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving.
• Drizzle the remaining Spicy Pomegranate-Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette over the lamb and sprinkle with the mint-almond relish.

HAM SALAD IN ENDIVE CUPS

Steps:

• Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, dill and pepper in a small bowl and mix until well blended.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ham, egg, celery and relish. Pour the dressing over and mix to combine.
• To serve, place a spoonful of the ham salad on the wide end of an endive leaf. Garnish with a piece of cheese and some dill.