Lamb And Dried Tomato Strudel Recipes

LAMB AND DRIED-TOMATO STRUDEL

Steps:

• Cover stack of phyllo with 2 overlapping sheets plastic wrap and then a damp kitchen towel.
• Make filling:
• In a small bowl pour boiling water over tomatoes and soak 5 minutes. Thinly slice mushrooms. If using brine-cured olives, pit them. Thinly slice olives. Drain tomatoes well and thinly slice.
• In a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until liquid they give off has evaporated. With a slotted spoon transfer mushrooms to a large bowl. Add lamb to skillet and cook, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until no longer pink. Transfer lamb with slotted spoon to bowl with mushrooms and discard fat. Stir tomatoes, olives, rosemary, basil, and red pepper flakes into lamb mixture and cool 10 minutes. Stir in feta, mozzarella, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly grease a large shallow baking pan.
• Stack phyllo between 2 sheets of wax paper and cover with a dry kitchen towel. On a work surface arrange two 20-inch-long sheets of wax paper with long sides overlapping slightly and facing you. Put 1 sheet of phyllo on wax paper and lightly brush with oil. On this, layer and brush 5 more sheets of phyllo in same manner. (Oiled phyllo stack should be 6 sheets thick.)
• Spread half of filling in a 3-inch-wide strip, mounding it, on phyllo 4 inches above the near long side, leaving a 2-inch border at each end. Using wax paper as a guide, lift bottom 4 inches of pastry over filling, folding in ends, and tightly roll up strudel. Carefully transfer strudel, seam side down, to baking pan and lightly brush with oil. Make another strudel with remaining ingredients in same manner.
• Bake strudels in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until golden. Cool strudels to warm in pan on a rack.
• Cut strudels into 1-inch slices with a serrated knife and serve slices warm.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND GARLIC-CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Tomato and garlic crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 1/4 cup reserved tomato oil, garlic, and shallots in small baking dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with foil. Bake until garlic is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer garlic mixture to processor. Add tomatoes and oregano. Blend until paste forms. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to bowl, cover, and chill.
• Lamb:
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and rosemary to skillet. Saute until garlic browns, about 5 minutes. Discard garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. Add 1 rack to skillet, rounded side down. Sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer rack to large rimmed baking sheet, rounded side up. Repeat with remaining lamb rack.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast lamb 18 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread 1/3 cup tomato-garlic paste thinly all over top of each. Return to oven and roast until thermometer inserted into center registers 134°F, about 3 minutes longer. Let lamb rest 10 minutes. Cut between bones into individual chops and serve.
• WHAT TO DRINK:
• Black cherry fruit and a slightly spicy finish are a nice match for the garlicky lamb. Try Alpha Estate 2005 Xiñómavro (Greece, $36).

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND HERB STUFFED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Open out lamb leg, I pounded with a meat mallet to even out thickness. (Read note above about cutting leg for stuffing.).
• Heat a little oil in a pan, add crushed garlic, and shallot and cook until shallot has softened.
• In a bowl combine stuffing mix, garlic/shallot mix, rosemary and tomatoes, spread stuffing evenly over lamb, carefully roll lamb up to form a log roll, secure with kitchen string.
• Slice slits into top of lamb at intervals, push sliced garlic into slits, sprinkle top with listed herbs.
• Place in an ovenproof dish and roast for about 1hr 30-45 Min's or until cooked as desired.
• Let meat stand before slicing.