From Spain with Love

SPANISH LAMB with PAPPARDELLE , OYSTER MUSHROOMS and ASPARAGUS

Yes, I’ve been to Spain again. It was certainly time for spring cleaning and my darling daughters, Tonja and Molly, along with Molly’s husband Joshua, all met me at the house near Castellon to do a major spruce up: cleaning, painting, patching, strimming, weed chopping and filling the courtyard with flowers…..flowers which will quietly grow and bloom their way through the summer while we all try to figure out a way to get back there before their blooming time is past.

As you may remember from past BLOGS, cooking is what we most like to do in Spain. The kitchen is just so much fun and the open food markets such a novelty. Having said that, I want to share a recipe that uses fabulous spring lamb chops, but actually any chops will do and the recipe is great with pork loin as well.

Lamb is raised and butchered very differently in Castellon provence, Spain from what we are accustomed to in America. Sheep roam the countryside freely, their only restraint being a devoted shepherd. It is lovely. Probably because they are a totally different breed or that they have to work so hard for their food, they never get fluffy and round like English and American lamb. Nonetheless their lean and trim bodies deliver a great robust flavor. Local restaurants normally serve lamb as thin chops rapidly cooked over a very hot wood fire. During all seasons of the year, restaurants keep these fires going in the kitchen and the seared meat served up is a divine treat.

Back to cooking: Having some beautiful chops from the butcher, I wanted to use pappardelle, a large, very broad, fettuccine type noodle which I never see in markets here. Its origin is in Italy, but is sold in Spain. There are so many different sorts of pasta; I think it would be fun to do a blog just on that! Actually, there are over 25 sorts of ‘ribbon cut noodles’ alone, among which Pappardelle is considered. It often accompanies game dishes such as wild boar and rabbit. Since there is a hunt club very near us in the mountains whose members especially hunt wild boar and rabbit, it all sort of fits. The hunt club itself is worthy of a future blog as well.

This is an extremely easy but at the same time a super meal. As mentioned, I used lamb chops, but feel free to use wild boar! Oyster mushrooms and fresh asparagus complete the picture.

Ingredients:
Lamb chops or meat of your choice
3 cloves garlic – pealed and chopped
Olive oil for sautéing
Bunch of fresh asparagus – bottom woody and/or tough end broken off
3-4 firm oyster mushrooms – cut into ½” – ¾” strips
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Pappardelle or pasta of your choice

Put a large pot of well salted water on to boil. In a good sized skillet, sauté half the garlic in olive oil; before the garlic begins to show color, add the chops and sear on both sides over high heat. Push garlic to the side if it begins to brown too fast

Take the chops out of the skillet and keep warm. Add the mushrooms and remaining garlic to the skillet. Add a bit more olive oil if needed. Cook the mushrooms until all moisture has evaporated and they become golden brown.

While this is happening, the water should be boiling, add pasta and when water returns to a boil, add the asparagus and allow it to blanch; 2 minutes more or less. Lift the asparagus out of the boiling water with tongs, making sure to shake off all water then add to the mushrooms.

Gently toss together taking care not to break the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the pasta. Serve vegetables over hot pasta with chops on top.

To make it perfect, have a good lettuce and some veggies from the garden on the side.

        

                                                              

This April (just for fun) Joshua filmed Molly and me marinating olives and making a tomato tarte. Both of these recipes are featured in, From Spain with Love, and the results of our deal with the video camera are two postings on YOU TUBE! You might find them entertaining! Search under Roberta Cardew

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