different from that enjoyed by Dwarfs or eagles, for example. The lunch suggestions we have used here are, naturally enough, those suitable for us.
Roast lamb is one of the most delicious of all meats when properly cooked and served. A couple of slices of cold leftover lamb served with mint sauce, hot green peas, and perhaps a few new potatoes is a wonderful lunch. When new potatoes are boiled, a sprig of mint should be added to the water. Lamb and mint traditionally go together, and you’ll find they are delicious.
Sheep are very hardy creatures and can live and thrive in country where cattle could not survive. For this reason lamb became popular in mountainous and semidesert areas throughout the world. In Archenland, and throughout the mountains of Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland, to this day you will see sheep everywhere. Jack got his taste for lamb from his childhood in northern Ireland and England. In Narnia lamb is a favorite dish of the Telmarines.
The Faun trotted in, half dancing, with a tray in its hands which was nearly as large as itself.
—THE HORSE AND HIS BOY
6 SERVINGS
1 leg of lamb, 7–9 pounds
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic (or more to taste), slivered
Leaves of 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
Leaves of 4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the leg of lamb in a roasting pan. Brush with a thin coating of honey. Cut slits in the lamb, and tuck in slivers of garlic and bits of herbs.
3. Scatter any extra garlic and herbs over the lamb; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast uncovered for about 20 minutes per pound.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15–20 minutes if serving hot, in order to make carving easier.
5. Slice the lamb and serve with mint sauce on the side. To serve cold, allow the meat to cool completely in the refrigerator.
Lamb can also be roasted in a cooking bag, which you can buy in a grocery store or supermarket. Season as above and place in the bag, following the manufacturer’s directions for use.
“It’s lovely,” said Lucy, and so it was; an omelette, piping hot, cold lamb and green peas, a strawberry ice, lemon squash to drink with the meal and a cup of chocolate to follow.
—THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
6 SERVINGS
12 slices cold roast lamb, or more if desired
2 pounds fresh young peas, shelled, about 1½ cups, or one 10-ounce package frozen baby peas, thawed
1 teaspoon salt
Sprig of mint
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mint sauce (see recipe below)
1. Arrange the slices of meat on a serving platter.
2. Bring to a boil enough water to just cover the peas. Add the peas, the salt, and the sprig of mint. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 5 minutes for young peas, less for thawed peas.
3. Drain and dress with butter and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
4. Serve the lamb with the mint sauce on the side.
1 cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup malt vinegar
¼ cup water
2–3 tablespoons granulated sugar (see note)
Pinch of salt
1. Wash the mint leaves and chop finely.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the mint and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
3. Serve at room temperature in a small jug with a spoon.
Note: Substitute 3 tablespoons of wildflower honey for the granulated sugar to add a tangy flavor to the mint.
When I was a boy at The Kilns, there were wild wood pigeons that often raided our vegetable garden for anything they could find. It soon became my job to try to keep them under control with a shotgun, and I was a very proud boy when the cook served a pigeon pie for dinner. Cold pigeon pie is delicious for lunches too. In country areas of England and Ireland, you can still get pigeon pie now and then. For America, we have substituted Cornish game hens, which taste very similar. Narnians don’t have shotguns, and so Dwarfs and Telmarines hunt with longbows. Shooting a bird on the wing with an arrow takes a great deal of skill, however, so most castles have their own dovecotes, in which pigeons are bred for the table. Pigeon pie is regularly on the menu at Castle Anvard and Cair Paravel.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив
