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Family gatherings--Joy, joy, joy!  Sometimes not!  Cranky ones, loud ones, yappin' pets, crabby kids--but, in the end, it is all joy.  This too shall pass and David and I begin our journey of empty nester-dom!  The beginning of this transition is this Saturday as our first leaves our nest, to thrive in a NEW nest--a St. Joe's hawks nest! 

Odd how the whole thing happens.  We trolled down the aisles of Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond over the past few weeks.  Hangers, shelves, shower buckets, bean bag chairs, book bags, sheets, bed ensemble (really???) lights, batteries, wastepaper baskets, hooks, milk crates, surge protectors and the like!  As we did so, I passed the aisles of Huggies diapers, sippy cups and pacifiers.  I guess I blinked, because now we are here. 

She is ready to fly our coop and become a member of another.  It's weird--a check in the box?  We've done our job?  She's a great kid?  No wait, she's an adult.  She is making adult decisions and doing a beautiful job of it.  'Nuf said. 

Tonight, our family shared a wonderful meal together as we send Heather off on the next step of her journey!  As my mom would say, the lamb is a bit "fiddly," meaning a little bit of work.  The rest, not so much...  Bon Apetit!

 

 

Grilled Lamb Sandwiches

Level:

Intermediate
Serves:
4 to 8 servings

Ingredients


  • 1/2 tablespoon capers
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups plain unsweetened yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • One 3 to 4-pound leg of lamb, butterflied
  • 1 sourdough baguette (use 2 if serving 8)
  • Harissa Mayo, for serving, recipe follows
  • Quick Pickled Sweet Cucumbers, for serving, recipe follows

Directions

Make the marinade by finely mincing the capers, oregano and garlic together. Add to a small bowl along with the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and some salt and pepper, stirring until well combined. Place the lamb in a large resealable bag and pour in the yogurt marinade. Mix it around so the lamb is completely coated all over. Squeeze out any air, reseal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

 

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

 

When the lamb is marinated, remove it from the bag and wipe off any excess with paper towels. Unfold the lamb, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle well with salt and pepper on both sides; this will help form a nice crust. Grill for about 15 minutes, then flip once and cook for another 12 minutes on the second side until cooked through and you have some color on the lamb. When done, remove from the grill, tent with foil and let rest for 10 to 12 minutes before carving across the grain into thin slices.

 

Take the baguette and split horizontally lengthwise so you have long halves. Place on the grill to warm the bread through and get slightly crisp, about 2 minutes per side.

 

To assemble the sandwiches, smear the bread with Harissa Mayo, stack with slices of lamb and Quick Pickled Sweet Cucumbers. Place the top of the baguette on and slice the sandwich into quarters.


Harissa Mayo:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons store-bought harissa paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, harissa, vinegar and cumin together in a large bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Refrigerate and serve smeared on lamb sandwiches.


Quick Pickled Sweet Cucumbers:

  • 1 hothouse cucumber, finely sliced
  • 1/2 Fresno chile, halved lengthwise, seeded if desired and finely sliced
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Add the cucumber slices and chile slices to a medium bowl and toss to combine.

 

In a medium saucepan, add the vinegar, sugar, 1/2 water and salt. Heat gently, stirring, just until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over the cucumbers and chiles in the bowl. Set aside to marinate at least 15 minutes before serving.


 

 

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Comment by wiffledust on August 31, 2011 at 7:40pm
this all looks too yummy!!!! i've never done anything fun with lamb like this. what a great idea!!! and you done good, mom!!! ;-) xoxoxox

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