Okay, so today's French Fridays with Dorie recipe is supposed to be Lamb and Dried Apricot Tagine. I knew I wasn't going to find the cut of lamb Dorie specifies, but I thought I could get my hands on some ground lamb, and use all the same ingredients, but treat it like Indian keema recipes that I've made. However, I couldn't find lamb. I grabbed ground beef, because I've made the aforementioned keema recipe with beef before, and it turned out fine. Not as good as lamb, but not bad. I had no idea if beef would work with the predominant flavors of this recipe--coriander and apricot. I'd planned to get back to the store this week to try and find some pork or veal to stew instead, but it didn't happen, so I returned to my ground beef plan.
It worked out fine. I'm 100% certain that it would be better as a lamb stew, per the recipe, but I really wanted to do
something, to stick to the schedule. Once I fall behind, I stay behind.
I have no strong feelings about this recipe. Its biggest draw is that CHARLIE ATE IT. Well, he ate the meat and the rice. Good enough for me. I was shocked. After dinner, he found a stray coriander seed on my counter. He has a thing about seeds. He'll spit out an entire piece of fruit if he gets a seed in his mouth, and refuse to take another bite. I don't get it. He asked why I had a seed on the counter. I told him it was in the meat--the meat that he liked. He said, "Oh, so you took this disgusting thing and made it yummy." Sure. I guess. Kid brains are weird. Ha!
My one gripe was that I could have broken up the coriander seeds more. I would prefer a rough grind, rather than "broken", in the future. I don't like chewing on the seeds. Maybe Charlie's on to something after all.
Woo hoo that Charlie ate it! That is hilarious what he said about the seeds! My kiddo is against seeds, too. how strange. Glad the recipe worked out for at least one person!
ReplyDeleteWoot! Glad Charlie liked this one. Once I told Bill he could scrape off the sauce, he didn't think it was so bad :)
ReplyDeleteI think Charlie's right on, isn't that what most of cooking is about? Breaking down something inedible and making it delicious?
ReplyDeleteCharlie is being rather profound this week. Glad he liked it though. That's a coup. I'm enjoying knowing that the sauce / recipe works with so many different kinds of meat.
ReplyDeleteI hate to break it to you, Mom, but Charlie's way ahead of you. It's that wacky, no-holds-barred kind of thinking that young kids can handle without overthinking it. He seems like an active little guy who never slows down. I am glad he liked your hamburger version of the tartine. It's something you can try again with lamb when you get back to the States.
ReplyDeleteKid logic just confounds me - but at the end of the day, they are usually right.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how so many substitutions worked so well with this recipe.
Nobody likes chewing the seeds... next time I'll probably add a teaspoon or half a teaspoon of ground coriander. I also thought there was a LOT of it. But way to go, Mom, for taking something yucky and making it delicious.
ReplyDeleteI think ground beef is a brilliant way to make this a quick meal because it doesn't have to cook long.
ReplyDeleteGlad this recipe worked out well for you. Do try it with the lamb meat if you can find it, it was delicious.
ReplyDeleteGround beef sounds inspired - nice one!
ReplyDeleteI cheated with the coriander and used pre-ground, so no seeds here. I really liked this, and I could see beef working well with the flavours too.
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