Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [49]
3. Preheat the oven to 325T (160°C). Season the flour with salt and pepper. Pat the chops dry, then dredge them in the flour, shaking off any excess; keep the leftover flour. Heat another 2 tablespoons of the oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat, and brown the chops in batches quickly on each side, adding more oil as necessary. Place the chops on the bed of onions and carrots.
4. Add the reserved flour from the chops to the frying pan, off the heat, and whisk it into the fat. You will probably need to add more oil. There should be enough residual heat in the pan to cook the flour: continue to whisk until the flour and oil mixture becomes tan colored. If it does not, return the pan to low heat and whisk until the flour colors. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) of stock, bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, and stir in the vermouth.
5. Pour the sauce over the chops. Top with the sliced potatoes, overlapping them slightly. Cover with buttered aluminum foil, butter side down. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 1½ hours.
6. Remove the aluminum foil, increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C), and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are browned. Serve, making sure everyone gets 2 chops and vegetables.
ICE BONES
One of the more curious uses of bones was as ice skates. From the Bronze Age, bone skates were common throughout the world’s colder regions. Crafted from the metacarpal and metatarsal bones of cattle, these bones were drilled at one or both ends so that they could be attached to a shoe or the skater’s ankle. The skater did not skate as we do today. Rather, he balanced on his skates, keeping the thin edge of the bone flat against the ice, and he carried a pole clad in iron at one end to strengthen it. To move, he dug the pole into the ice and pushed to propel himself across a frozen lake. While not very graceful, it was a practical way to travel through a frozen landscape. Larger bones, like whale jawbones, served as sled runners so that goods could be transported across ice.
Lamb Roasted over Potatoes
For me, roast lamb is always meant leg of lamb, but shoulder is equally succulent, if a little fatty—don’t overlook it. You can use either leg or a shoulder here. A shoulder will probably only feed four people because of the bones and fat, whereas a leg will feed six people. A long leg (see page 93) will have had the pelvic bone removed by the butcher, so make sure that he secures the meat with string to make a compact shape. It will take 20 to 30 minutes longer to roast.
This recipe takes advantage of the tasty lamb drippings to flavor a bed of potatoes.
1 bone-in shoulder or leg of lamb, 4 ½ to 5 pounds (2 to 2.5 kg)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into slivers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried orégano, preferably Greek orégano (see page in)
6 large potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Trim any excess fat from the lamb; be sure to check the underside, especially if using shoulder. Leave a thin covering of fat. Using a small knife, make ½-inch (1-cm)-deep slits, at an angle, through the fat into the meat and insert a garlic sliver into each one. Drizzle the lamb with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then sprinkle with the dried oregano. Set on a platter and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.
2. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Slice the potatoes ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the potatoes in the pan, overlapping slices if necessary, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and