Gyros

I just made the most amazing gyros type thing. There's a great Persian market in Irvine that makes fresh bread (sangak?) but you can use pita instead.

olive oil
1 1/2 lb boneless leg of lamb, cut into large (2x2) chunks

Rub:
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
pinch salt
pinch pepper

Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp minced red onion
5 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin

Sandwich:
hummus
Red onion slices
tomato slices
cucumber slices
lettuce leaf
etc.

1. Heat olive oil in a pan, medium high. Meanwhile, mix rub spices together and sprinkle over lamb chunks, on all sides.
2. Put lamb into heated pan and cook each side for 1-2 minutes. Cover and reduce heat to low/medium-low. Depends on how much you have to slice/mince.
   
3. Meanwhile, slice your veggies and mix together yogurt sauce ingredients.
4. Remove lamb chunks from pan and slice for sandwich.
5. Spread yogurt sauce and hummus on sangak or pita.
   
6. Put together your sandwich/wrap and enjoy!!
   

Julia Child Coq au Vin

[Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms, and bacon]

My brother bought me "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for my bday and this is the first recipe I made with the help of my parents.

The book says it's typically served with parsley potatoes and a green vegetable, along with the same kind of wine used in the recipe.

Brown-Braised Onion Ingredients

• 18-24 peeled small white onions (roughly 1 in in diameter)
• 1.5 Tb butter
• 1.5 Tb oil
• 1/2 cup of canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or just water
• salt and pepper to taste
• herb bouquet: consists of 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme tied in a cheesecloth

Mushroom Ingredients

• 2 Tb butter
• 1 Tb oil
• 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms well dried (leave small ones whole and quarter large ones)

Main Dish Ingredients

• 3-4 oz of lean bacon
• 2 Tb butter
• 2 Tb softened butter
• 2.5-3 lbs cut-up chicken dried thoroughly (We just used chicken thighs)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup Cognac
• 3 cups young full bodied wine (Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Chianti)
• 1-2 cups of brown chicken stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1/2 Tb tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• onions and mushrooms
• 3 Tb flour

Making the Coq au Vin:

• Cut the bacon into 1/4 inch x 1 inch rectangles and simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water.
• rinse in cold water and then dry.

• in a large pot or casserole saute the bacon slowly in butter until lightly browned (~260 degrees F) then remove to a side dish.
• Add the dried chicken and brown it in the hot fat of the casserole.
• Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and return the bacon and cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes turning the chicken half way through (~360 degrees F). While waiting, blend the softened butter and flower together into a smooth paste and set aside for later. (I think this is a rue).
  
• Uncover and add the Cognac, avert your face and light the Cognac. Then shake the casserole back and forth until the flames go out.
• Pour the wine into the casserole along with just enough of the stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Next, stir in the tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer slowly for 25-30 minutes.

At this point the onions and mushrooms should be prepared, the onions will take about an hour so get those started first, the recipe for both are below.

• Poke the chicken with a fork after simmering and if the juices run a clear yellow then it is done, remove to a side dish.
• simmer the chicken cooking liquid for a minute or two while skimming off the fat.
• then boil the liquid rapidly until the liqued reduces to about 2 1/4 cups. Taste the liquid and add salt or pepper if needed, remove from heat, and remove the bay leaf.
  
• Now, beat the blended butter/flour paste into the hot liquid with a wire whisk and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly for a minute or two. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly

• Arrange the chicken back in the casserole and place the prepared mushrooms and onions around them. Baste everything with the sauce in the pan so that everything is covered lightly and simmer covered for 4-5 minutes.

• If not serving immediately, after basting everything with the sauce just set aside uncovered and it can wait "indefinitely". When ready to serve perform the simmering, 4-5 minutes should be enough to bring everything up to temperature.

This recipe has a decent amount of steps but everything is surprisingly simple to do. Good luck and enjoy!



Making the onions (this was super delicious) ~ 1 hour

• add butter and oil to a 9-10 in skillet and heat

• once butter and oil are bubbling add the onions and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, rolling so the onions brown evenly

• Pour in the liquid you chose, salt and pepper to taste and add the herb bouquet. cover and simmer slowly for 40-50 minutes until onions are tender but still have their shape and the liquid has evaporated.

Making the mushrooms

• place butter and oil in a skillet over high heat

• once the butter foam subsides add the mushrooms, toss and shake the pan for 4-5 minutes, the mushrooms will absorb the fat and then the fat will appear on the surface of the mushrooms allowing them to brown. Do not allow the mushrooms to release their juices, also do not over crowd the pan, otherwise the mushrooms steam rather than fry

• Once the mushrooms are lightly browned, remove them from the heat