Grilled Lamb and Herbed Polenta with a Date Shiraz Sauce

In Federal Way, Washington there is a restaurant called Gino’s where you should always, without exception* order the special. Don’t get me wrong, the regular menu is great, but the specials are the canvas upon which chefs Gino and Dan unleash their creativity on their eager clientele. Five and a half years ago when Phil and I were married, we held our rehearsal dinner at Gino’s Bistro and the star of the evening wasn’t the bride, but grilled lamb in a date Shiraz sauce with chevre. It was heaven.

About a year ago, Catapano Dairy in Peconic, NY released it’s first chevre of the spring and as usual I was waiting at the gate like a bride at a Kleinfeld’s sample sale to snap it up for this dish. Although I could have used any chevre in this dish, Catapano chevre seems as though it was made for it. While some prefer Laura Chenel and Montrachet, I believe deep in my soul that Catapano chevre, with it’s heartbreaking creaminess and understated tang  is the most decadent, luscious chevre in existence. That being said, you can rest assured that your favorite chevre will do even if it isn’t Catapano and having said that, I was unable to use it this go around, because I can’t find Catapano in Seattle.

With the best chevre available, a lovely Shiraz and a glorious rack of lamb I set out to make something that resembles Gino’s most fabulous dish. In the recipe, I state that this dish should be grilled and I stand by that, it adds an extra layer of flavor that is so necessary. Sadly, I do not have a grill at the moment and instead jumped it in a pan then gave it a quick roast. It was delicious, but this dish was destined for the grill. As for the sauce, I really wrestled with this one. The first time I made it, I blended the dates in with the sauce, but it was a bit too sweet. I’ve also made it using all Shiraz and no stock, it was very intense and delicious, but I decided to dial it back just a bit. The polenta was not served with this dish at Gino’s and now that I think about it, I can’t remember what was and I think this is a great fit. My resulting dish is actually quite different from Gino’s, but then as we all know food is like a signature and all are distinct.  Enjoy!

The Sauce

3 Slices of Bacon, chopped

2 Shallots, chopped

6 Medjool Dates, pit removed and chopped

3/4 Bottle Shiraz

2 cups Stock, lamb or even chicken will do

2 TBS All Purpose Flour

Freshly Ground Pepper

1 TBS Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Saute the bacon in a medium sauce pan, when it begins to brown add the shallots. When the shallots begin to turn translucent add the dates and cook for a minute before adding the Shiraz and stock. Reduce the mixture by half,  strain through a sieve (being careful not to burn yourself!) and return to the sauce pan and simmer.

In a small bowl place the two TBS of flour and slowly add the sauce a TBS at a time to it whisking it well with a fork until you have a good slurry. Add the slurry to the rest of your sauce and bring to a boil to thicken and cook out the raw flour flavor, stirring often. When thick turn the heat down to low and few minutes before serving stir in the pepper and rosemary.

Note: You do not have to add the flour if you would prefer a thin sauce. I like it both ways.

 The Lamb

1 Frenched Rack of lamb, (about 8-10 ribs)

3TBS Fresh Rosemary, chopped finely

1 tsp Sea Salt

2 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

2 TBS Olive Oil

1 recipe Sauce

Chevre, to top

A few Dates to garnish

In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, sea salt, pepper and olive oil.

For the chops: Slice the rack into individual chops. Fire up the grill and when the coals are white hot add the chops. Grill the chops for about 2-3 minutes a side depending on how you want them done. I like 2 minutes for medium rare.

For a rack: Pat down the rack with the rosemary mixture and allow to sit for an hour or so. Fire up the grill and when the coals are white hot add or rack. Grill it until the internal temperature reaches 135F for medium rare. Be sure to rest it five minutes or so before slicing.

Serve with polenta, sauce, chevre and a few dates on the side.

The Herbed Polenta

3-4 cups chicken stock, (depending on how thick or thin you want the finished product to be)

1 cup Polenta

1 TBS Butter

2 TBS Rosemary, chopped

3/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

Sea Salt, to taste

In a medium pan, bring the stock to a boil. Very slowly add the polenta to the stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Lower the heat. When the polenta pulls away from the pan, stir in the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Leftover Note: The chances that you only bought six dates is pretty slim, so I have a great way to make an elegant appetizer with the leftovers. Remove the pits and stuff with a mixture of rosemary and chevre or any leftover herbed polenta. Wrap the stuffed dates just with a small amount of bacon and brown in a saute pan. Serve with any leftover Shiraz sauce, warmed.

*Okay, I lied there is one exception; the pear ravioli. Oh, and always get the soup, Gino is a master of the soupy arts.

On the off chance you find yourself in Federal Way avoid the strip malls and check out Gino’s, which oddly enough is in a strip mall, but when you’re inside it is easy to forget. Stay at Palisades Bed and Breakfast out at Dumas Bay, the owners are friends of my family and the lodging is exquisite.