Crown Roast With Spring Rice Pilaf Recipes

CLASSIC PORK CROWN ROAST

Steps:

• Put the pork on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon salt and several grinds of pepper; set aside.
• Put the fennel, allspice, whole peppercorns and juniper berries in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until the fennel begins to turn slightly golden, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the toasted spices to a blender, add the bay leaf and blend until coarsely ground. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt and process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute. Spread the paste over the pork, making sure to get it into all the nooks and crannies; use a spatula to scrape up all the paste from the blender. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put the pork on a rack set in a large roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees F, about another 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, sage, thyme, apples, onions and 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large bowl until well coated. Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add half of the apple and onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and onions are dark golden all over but the apples are still firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and spread into a single layer to cool, using a heatproof spatula to scrape all the remaining sugar from the skillet over the apples and onions. Repeat with the remaining apple and onion mixture.
• Return the skillet to high heat and add the wine. Cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Add the cider and cook until thickened and glossy, about 8 minutes; you should have about 1/3 cup of glaze. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.
• Once the pork reaches 135 degrees F, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and brush the pork all over with half the glaze. Return to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Brush with the remaining glaze and continue to cook until the internal temperature registers 145 degrees F, about another 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 30 minutes. Serve with the apples and onions.

CROWN ROAST OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Fill the center of the roast with a ball of foil to keep the crown in shape during roasting, and cover the bones with foil or cubes of fat to prevent them from charring. Season the roast well with salt, pepper, and tarragon. Roast on a rack, allowing about 13-15 minutes per pound for pink lamb. With a crown it is difficult to take a reading on a meat thermometer.
• Let the roast stand for about 10 minutes in a warm place. Remove the covering on the ends of the ribs and replace them with paper frills. Fill the center of the crown with any of the following:
• 1. Tiny new peas mixed with tiny onions, well buttered.
• 2. A rice pilaf mixed with finely cut and quickly sautéed lamb kidneys.
• 3. A purée of chestnuts, with braised chestnuts as a garnish.
• 4. Braised chestnuts and Brussels sprouts.
• 5. Sautéed mushroom caps sprinkled with tarragon, parsley and chives.
• 6. Cracked wheat.
• 7. Wild rice and almonds.
• Serve the pan juices, or anchovy-flavored Hollandaise sauce of a béarnaise sauce, substituting fresh mint for the tarragon in the latter.
• Also serve a Bibb lettuce salad tossed with diced cooked beets. Drink a modest Bordeaux wine such as Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste or a Cos d'Estournel.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH DIRTY RICE STUFFING AND CREOLE MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine well the thyme, the salt, pepper to taste, and the oil and rub the mixture all over the pork, patted dry. Arrange the pork on an oiled round of heavy-duty foil slightly larger than the bottom of the pork in the middle of a lightly oiled shallow roasting pan and fill the center of the crown with some of the stuffing, mounding it. Roast the stuffed pork, the stuffing covered with another oiled round of foil, in a preheated 450°F. oven for 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 325°F., and roast the stuffed pork for 2 1/4 hours more, or until a meat thermometer registers 160°F., or for 2 1/2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer registers 170°F., for well-done meat. In a 2-quart shallow baking dish bake the remaining stuffing in the 325°F. oven during the last 30 minutes of the pork'1s roasting time. Transfer the pork to a platter and let it stand for 15 minutes.
• While the pork is standing add the wine to the roasting pan, deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits, and strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup water and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup. Add the cream, boil the mixture, stirring, until it is reduced to about 3/4 cup, and whisk in the mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Discard the foil from the stuffing, arrange the parsley and the tomatoes decoratively around the pork, and serve the pork with the mustard sauce and the remaining stuffing.

CROWN ROAST OF LAMB WITH PILAF STUFFING

Steps:

• Roast:In a small skillet over medium-high, toast coriander seeds until dark brown and fragrant, 3 minutes. Grind in a spice grinder, or crush with a mortar and pestle.
• Place racks of lamb, fat-side down, on a work surface. Cut one-third of the way through flesh between each rib bone. (This will allow racks to fan open into a crown shape.) Stand racks upright, with fat sides touching. Thread a trussing nee- dle with kitchen twine, and run it horizontally through meat just below last rib bone on one rack, and straight through meat of opposite chop. Form a half-circle by pulling ends of twine together as tightly as possible; tie. Repeat process on opposite ends of racks to finish crown. Where racks are joined, tie rib bones together. Crown can be made up to a day in advance and stored, uncovered, in the refrigerator. (Or just ask your butcher to pre- pare the crown.)
• Stir together ground coriander, lemon zest, garlic, thyme leaves, oil, 4 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper until a paste forms. Spread mixture evenly over roast. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in bottom third. Place lemon wedges, thyme sprigs, and broth in a roasting pan. Place a flat rack over lemons, then center lamb on rack. Roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast (near but not touching bones) reads 140 degrees for medium-rare, 35 to 40 minutes. (Prepare pilaf while roast is in oven.) Transfer lamb to a platter; let stand 15 minutes. Remove rack, lemon wedges, and thyme from pan, reserving pan for gravy.
• Pilaf:Heat a large saucepan over medium-high. Swirl in 2 tablespoons oil. Add bulgur, rice, and onion; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture hasa nutty aroma and rice turns golden in places, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth and 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until liquid has evaporated and bulgur is tender but still slightly chewy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork, then stir in parsley, pine nuts, currants, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Spoon pilaf into center of finished crown roast on platter, if desired.
• Gravy:While lamb is resting, place roasting pan across two burners on medium-high. Add 1 1/2 cups broth; bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1/4 cup broth with flour, then whisk into pan. Continue to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until gravy thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted and combined. Strain gravy through a sieve and serve, with lamb and pilaf.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH SPICY RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Cut a circle of aluminum foil roughly the shape of the crown roast and place in center of roasting pan. Put the pork on it. Fill inside of roast with stuffing, packing it firmly as you go. The filling should reach the top; smooth it over with a spatula and cover stuffing (but not meat) with aluminum foil.
• Coat meat with vegetable oil and dust lightly with salt; season generously with pepper. Press dried rosemary sprigs around the exterior. Scatter onions around roast and cook about 2 hours in the preheated oven. Baste occasionally.
• Transfer pork to serving platter, covering loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Pour off fat from roasting pan and remove circular piece of foil from pan. Leave backbone sections and onions in pan and place pan over medium-high flame. Add chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil while scraping bottom of pan to remove clinging particles. Simmer 5 minutes. Strain the liquid and serve it as gravy with pork.
• Bring 4 cups of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rice, return to a boil while stirring and simmer 17 minutes. Stir occasionally. Drain well and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat melt butter and add onions and garlic. Stir 5 minutes. Add sausage meat and break it up with a fork. Add bell pepper, fennel, cumin and clove. Cook about 10 minutes while stirring.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In large mixing bowl, combine rice with sausage mixture. Add egg, parsley, pistachio nuts, salt and pepper. Blend well.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK

Steps:

• Combine thyme, sage, garlic, salt and pepper in a mortar and pestle or a food processor, and pound or pulse to combine. Stream in olive oil and pound or pulse to make a paste.
• Rinse the pork, and dry it very well with paper towels. Massage the herb paste all over the meat, making sure to coat both the middle and the crevices between the ribs. Place the roast in a large roasting pan, and allow to marinate and come to room temperature, approximately an hour.
• Heat oven to 450. Roast the pork for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 and roast approximately 1½ to 2 hours longer, or until the meat, measured between the bones, registers 145 on an instant-read thermometer. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place racks on a work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut a third of the way through the meat between every two rib chops. (This will help the roast bend and stand upright.) Using a trussing needle and cotton kitchen twine, tie the ends of one rack to the ends of the second rack, being sure that the meat side of each rack faces outward. Tie a second piece of twine around the crown directly below the rib bones. Season with salt and pepper; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, zest, garlic, parsley, and sage; rub herb mixture evenly over meat. Transfer roast to a flat rack placed in a large heavy-duty roasting pan.
• Roast for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting, rotating halfway through, until meat is well browned and an instant-read thermometer registers 140 to 150 degrees, about 2 hours 15 minutes. (Insert thermometer into meaty center of crown, avoiding any bone. Take several readings to ensure roast is cooked all over.)
• Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes on the rack before transferring it to a serving platter. Remove twine and fill with cooked Wild Rice Stuffing. Garnish with rosemary and plums.