Entire Ensemble Dinner!

I'm quite pleased with the results. The lamb chops were excellent, and the presentation was pretty good.



I also added one more dish, a light Asian 'cole slaw' with shredded daikon, cucumbers, and carrots. Topped with a few sesame seeds.

Pumpkin bread with rum soaked raisins, maple cream

To be added....

Braised Chicken with Port Cranberry Sauce, Mascarpone Potatoes, Sauteed Baby Asparagus

Chicken

- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- baby asparagus


Mascarpone Potatoes

- 3-4 russet potatoes
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp mascarpone


Port Cranberry Sauce

- 1 cup low salt chicken stock
- 1 cup low salt beef stock
- 1/2 cup ruby Port
- 1/3 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
- several sprigs of thyme
- 3 tablespoons butter

1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
2. Sear each side for about 4 minutes. Set aside.
3. Combine sauce ingredients.
4. Add chicken to sauce, cook in oven at 350 degrees F for ~ 1 hour. Cover with foil.
5. Slice the asparagus.
6. Peel and cut potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender. Steam off remaining water on low heat.
7. Mash potatoes- add cream, a bit of butter, and mascarpone.
8. Remove chicken from sauce. Reduce sauce.
9. Ladle sauce onto plate. Serve with chicken, asparagus, and potatoes.
   

Lamb Au Poivre with Balsamic Reduction, Julienned Root Vegetables

Lamb Au Poivre

- Lamb rib chops
- Thyme
- Aged balsamic vinegar
- Ground black pepper or better yet, peppercorns
- Butter
- Carrots, parsnips, julienned

1. French lamb rip chops.
   
2. Rub room temperature butter onto lab chop faces. Then add pepper, and thyme. Refrigerate 2 hours before cooking, allow butter to solidify.
3. Let warm to room temperature. Sear lamb chops ~ 2 min. per side.
4. Transfer to oven, bake ~ 5 minutes at 400 degrees F.
5. Toss root vegetables in sesame oil, salt, pepper. Bake simultaneously with lab chops.
6. Let lamb chops rest ~ 2 minutes before serving.
7. Reduce balsamic vinegar in same skillet.
8. Drizzle over chops, and serve.

Frenched lamb rib chops with thyme and pepper seasoning, about to be refrigerated.



Final product. Root vegetables a bit too oily.



Alternate variation, without root vegetables. A nice bed of cooked greens instead.

Pretty good BBQ Sauce

Mixed up some sauce the other day, it's surprisingly good.

Approximate portions are as follows.

- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup apple vinegar
- 1/5 cup whiskey
- dash of oyster sauce
- dash of Worcestershire suace
- dash of soy sauce
- salt & pepper to taste

The apple vinegar gives a nice flavor to the sauce.