Lamb Tajine With Pears And Honey

(Serves 6)
2 - 3 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder
2 lbs. fresh pears
4 medium onions
4 TBS. butter
5 TBS. honey
1 TBS. cinnamon
1 pinch saffron
salt and fresh ground pepper
Cut the lamb into cubes about 1" square.
Melt the butter in a dutch oven or casserole (which has a cover). Add lamb, salt, pepper, cinnamon and saffron. Mix well and sauté lamb until brown.
Cover meat with water. Cook covered for 30 minutes.
Peel the onions. Cut into large pieces. Add to the lamb mixture. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes.
When the lamb is thoroughly cooked and tender (perhaps an additional 15 - 30 minutes), remove the lamb (only) from the casserole. Peel the pears. Cut into large pieces. Add pears to the casserole along with the honey. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until the pears are just becoming tender.
Add the lamb back to the casserole and cook for another 10 minutes to blend all the flavors. (At this point, if the sauce is too thin, it can be reduced by temporarily removing it from the meat, pears, and onion mixture and cooking the sauce in a separate saucepan until it thickens. Then add the thickened sauce back to the lamb, pears and onions).
Serve with couscous.
(from: Odile Grand-Clement, our friend from Paris, France)

Mexican Lamb Chops with Spicy Chili and Coriander

Ingredients
4 tbsp chili powder
handfuls coriander, hopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
8 lamb loin chops, ones trimmed back
1 tbsp olive oil
30 g shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
450 ml dry red wine
450 ml beef stock
50 g butter, chilled and cut into 1cm pieces
2 - 3 squares of dark chocolate
To serve:
. lettuce
. white beans
. avocados
. peppers
. coriander
Yields 4 servings
1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the chilli powder, the coriander, oregano, cumin and garlic powder in
small bowl and coat the lamb with it. Place the lamb chops in glass baking dish, cover and refrigerate
for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and fry for 2
minutes before adding the red wine, beef stock and remaining chilli powder. Cook for about 30
minutes, until the sauce is reduced to about 200ml. Remove from the heat, add the butter, a little at a time, and then add the chocolate, whisking after each addition.
3. Meanwhile griddle the lamb chops as desired, remove from heat, and serve immediately with the
sauce and a side salad of lettuce, white beans, avocado, peppers and a sprinkling of coriander

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast)

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.