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1 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pat the lamb dry, place in a small bowl, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss to coat.

2 Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the lamb and cook until well browned on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the browned lamb to a plate with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining lamb.

3 Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat for 1 minute, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Add the broth, leeks, mushrooms, carrots, turnips, garlic, and thyme. Return the lamb, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate, and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid or foil.

4 Set the Dutch oven in the middle of the oven and bake for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring once or twice, until the lamb is tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

5 Meanwhile, to make the topping, peel and quarter the potatoes. Cover with cold salted water by 1 inch in a large pot and add the garlic. Bring to a boil and boil, covered, until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.

6 Return the potatoes to the pot and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are dry, about 1 minute. Add the milk and butter and mash the potatoes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

7 Preheat the broiler.

8 Transfer the lamb mixture to a 3-quart casserole that can go from oven to tabletop. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the lamb and vegetables and spread evenly. Use a fork to make a decorative pattern in the potatoes. Broil about 3 inches from the heat until the potatoes are golden, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Lamb and Leek Flatbread

Serves 4

Think of this as a Greek pizza, and you have some idea of what’s to come. The topping is a savory combination of lamb, leeks, and feta cheese. To serve this as an appetizer, make the flatbread on a rectangular baking sheet and cut into small squares. If you have fresh mint on hand, add a few tablespoons of the chopped leaves to the sautéed leek mixture for added flavor.

½ recipe Basic Pizza Dough (page 264)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

12 ounces ground lamb

1 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)

1 Prepare the pizza dough and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

2 Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3 Add the lamb to the skillet and sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and combine with the leeks. Sprinkle with the rosemary and season generously with salt and pepper.

4 Preheat the oven to 500°F.

5 Lightly oil a 10-inch or 12-inch round pizza pan or a 12- by 15-inch baking sheet. Stretch the dough to fit the pan. Brush the dough with a little olive oil. Scatter the lamb mixture over the pizza dough. Top with the feta and pine nuts, if using.

6 Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven until the crust is golden, about 12 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Variation: Lamb, Leek, and Potato Cassserole

Replace the pizza dough with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (page 171). Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

Spicy Meat Lo Mein

Serves 4–6

Beef or pork (or even chicken) work equally well in this spicy version of lo mein. This is an “off menu” dish at a local Chinese restaurant. It’s called “bastard lo mein” by the kids who work there after school.

1 pound Chinese wheat noodles or thin spaghetti

3–4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon Chinese chili paste with garlic