No foolin'

What I would do to eat at 10 Downing Street, where Jamie Oliver, among my favorite rock star chefs, and a crew from Fifteen London prepare dinner for politicians and world leaders the evening before the G-20 economic summit.



The menu:

Baked Scottish Salmon with Seashore Vegetables, Broad Beans, Herb Garden Salad, Mayonnaise and Wild Garlic-scented Irish Soda Bread

Slow-Roasted Shoulder of Welsh Lamb, very first of the season Jersey Royals, first of the season Asparagus and Wild St. George Mushrooms, Mint Sauce and Gravy

Hot Bakewell Tart with Homemade Custard

(The image is from www.jamieoliver.com.)

Vegetarian options include:

Childwickbury Goat's Cheese with Roast Shallots, Seashore Vegetables, Herb Green Salad and Wild Garlic-scented Irish Soda Bread

Lovage and Potato Dumplings with first of the season Asparagus and Wild St. George Mushrooms


I am going to have to figure out what lovage is exactly. The lamb, however, reminds me of a terrific recipe from "Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life":


Incredible Roasted Shoulder of Lamb with Smashed Vegetables and Greens

for the lamb:

1 (2.2-lb.) shoulder of lamb
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh rosemary
1 bulb garlic, unpeeled, broken into cloves

for the smashed vegetables:

1 1/2 lbs. peeled potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks
1/2 a large rutabaga, peeled and cut into small chunks
6 Tbsp. butter

for the sauce:

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups good-quality hot chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. capers, soaked, drained and chopped
1 large bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 lb. lovely greens, such as white cabbage, savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts tops or cavolo nero, leaves separated, stalks finely sliced

for the lamb:

Preheat your oven to full whack (450 to 500 degrees F).

Slash the fat side of the lamb all over with a sharp knife. Lay half the sprigs of rosemary and half the garlic cloves on the bottom of a high-sided roasting pan, rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place it in the pan on top of the rosemary and garlic, and put the rest of the rosemary and garlic on top of the lamb. Tightly cover the tray with aluminum foil and place in the oven.

Turn the oven down immediately to 325 degrees F and cook for 4 hours - it's done if you can pull the meat apart easily with two forks.

for the vegetables:

When the lamb is nearly cooked, put the potatoes, carrots and rutabaga into a large pot of boiling salted water and boil hard for 20 minutes or so until you can slide a knife into the rutabaga easily.

Drain and allow to steam dry, then smash them up in the pan with most of the butter. If you prefer a smooth texture, add some cooking water. Spoon into a bowl, cover with foil and keep warm over a pan of simmering water.

for the sauce:

Remove the lamb from the oven and place it on a chopping board. Cover it with foil, then a kitchen towel, and leave it to rest.

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for the greens.

Pour away most of the fat from the roasting pan, discarding any bits of rosemary. Put the pan on the stovetop over medium heat and mix in the flour. Add the stock, stirring and scraping all the sticky goodness off the bottom of the pan. You won't need gallons of gravy, just a couple of flavorsome spoonfuls for each serving.

Add the capers, turn the heat down and simmer for a few minutes. Finely chop the mint and add it to the sauce with the red wine vinegar at the last minute then pour into a pitcher.

Add the greens and stalks to the pan of fast-boiling salted water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to just soften them. Drain and toss with a knob of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Place everything in the middle of the table, and shred the lamb in front of your guests. Absolutely delish! Makes 6 servings.