Honey Rosemary Lamb

Know what's good when your heart is aching, perhaps verging on breaking? Going into Mama Sarah's Kitchen, because good food does make everything better (at least for a little while). Whether on the cooking or consuming end, food is therapeutic. I believe this wholeheartedly.

Moving on.. somewhat. I've been going crazy with not cooking and baking as much as I used to. I started to feel quite down. So I've decided to cook at least one fabulous meal on the weekend, in addition to the Sunday baking.

I've been obsessing over lamb for the past few years. I've had a great experience and a mediocre one. That's it. So I've been wanting to try preparing it. Unfortunately, my usual grocery store doesn't carry lamb. BUT the grocery store near work DOES. So by Wednesday, I was determined to prepare lamb this Saturday. Meal plans in the middle of the day? I ate light.

I didn't follow any recipe really. I am basically unfamiliar with lamb and it's nuances, so I decided to mimic (in a way) a steak at Granite City that I really enjoy. It's a honey rosemary filet mignon, and I love the combination of flavors. Thus, we have Honey Rosemary Lamb. I want to use chops, but the store didn't have any, so I ended up with this .. leg steak? It's basically a cross-section of the leg; hubby removed the bone portion.


Honey Rosemary Lamb

• 1 lb lamb
• 2-3 tbsp honey
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 sprigs of rosemary, coarsely chopped
• salt and pepper

I basically combined the honey, olive oil, and chopped rosemary to create a marinade. I rubbed the lamb in the marinade, flipped it up, then sealed it up and let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours.


Marinadey! I'm sorry I can't give you exact amounts. I thought I had them figured out, then realized I didn't have enough marinade so I just started adding more a bit at a time.

When you're ready to cook the lamb, heat some olive oil on medium-high heat in a skillet. Salt and pepper, then sear each side (a few minutes each) to create a nice dark outside. Turn the heat down to a medium-low and cover. It takes about 10 minutes, but you definitely want your meat to be at least 160F. They recommend lamb be served medium-rare. I *overcooked* mine.

The meat was a bit sweet, so I should have countered the sweetness a little better. I still enjoyed it, but hubby did not (he likes his meat spicy, damn Cajun that he is). I think this is a good base to start my lamb adventures from. Maybe I'll do a roast for Christmas!

I served this with Nigella Lawson's perfect oven roasted potatoes (DELISH), some store bought garlic bread, and a salad of greens and thinly sliced gouda. Though the greens were a bit bitter (it was a baby arugula mix) the gouda paired with it was great. Definitely something I will serve again, perhaps even at a dinner party. It is simple, yet elegant, which means big points, right?

Expect the Nigella recipe in a few hours.

Also, I have not forgotten Sweet Sundays (not a creative name, I know. Sue me). I am in the process of making a King Cake. That's right my friends; Mardi Gras is this coming Tuesday. I'll finish up the cake tomorrow and post it then. Get excited!!