Braised Lamb Shank on Barley Risotto with Joachim Splichal

HELLO, I'M JULIA CHILD.

WELCOME TO MY HOUSE AND TO MY KITCHEN AND TO ANOTHER CULINARY ADVENTURE WITH ONE OF AMERICA'S MASTER CHEFS.

FROM LOS ANGELES CHEF/OWNER OF PATINA ON MELROSE BOULEVARD JOACHIM SPLICHAL.

CHEF JOACHIM IS GOING TO SHOW US A MARVELOUS RECIPE FOR BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH BARLEY RISOTTO.

THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL.

AND HERE THEY ARE.

WE HAVE A WHOLE LA MB SHANK.

IT'S NICE AND MEATY, ISN'T IT?

YE S. THEN WE HAVE HERE TH EY'RE CUT ALREADY.

AND YOU JUST BUY THEM THAT WAY ALREADY CUT.

YEAH, YOU CAN BUY THEM FR OM THE BUTCHER JUST CUT.

YEAH, UM HMM.

AND I WILL SALT AN D PEPPER THEM.

HOW MANY DO YOU NEED PER PERSON, ABOUT?

ONE PER PERSON WO ULD BE FINE.

UM HMM.

THERE'S A LOT OF MEAT ON THEM.

YEAH.

IT WILL SHRINK A LITTLE BI T WHILE YOU COOK THEM.

AND I'VE PREHEATED A PAN HERE.

AND WE'LL AL SO FLOUR THEM.

IS THAT SO THEY'LL BROWN MORE EASILY?

THEY'LL BROWN EA SIER.

THICKENS THE SAUCE A LITTLE BIT I GUESS TOO?

AND IT THICKENS AL SO THE SAUCE.

SO YOU SHOULDN'T US E TOO MUCH FLOUR.

YEAH.

START WITH TH E BUTTER.

JUST A LITTLE BIT.

IT'S GOOD AND HOT, ISN'T IT?

IT'S QUITE HO T, YEAH.

YOU WANT TO RE ALLY BROWN THE SHANKS.

YOU'RE GETTING RID OF EXCESS FLOUR.

YEAH, PATTING IT HARD.

OTHERWISE, THE SAUCE WI LL BE TOO THICK.

YEAH.

AND WE LET THEM BR OWN VERY SLOWLY.

YEAP.

ON HIGH HEAT.

IN THE MEANTIME I'LL PREPARE THE VE GETABLES FOR IT.

WE CUT THEM AL L COARSE.

THESE ARE GOING TO COOK WITH THE STEW, I GUESS.

YEAH, I FIRST BROWN TH E SHANKS OFF AND THEN WE WILL RO AST THE VEGETABLES.

SOME LEEKS.

AND LEEKS.

I LOVE LEEKS.

CARROTS.

WITH BASICALLY AN Y STEW YOU SHOULD HAVE TH OSE VEGETABLES AND A LITTLE BI T OF CELERY.

YOU HAVE REALLY LOTS OF VEGETABLES THERE.

AND THEY GET SLOWLY BROWN.

UM HMM.

A LITTLE BIT OF SH ALLOT ALSO.

I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH BIG SHALLOTS AS THOSE.

THEY'RE ABOUT TWICE THE SIZE.

ARE THOSE FROM CALIFORNIA?

MASSACHUSETTS .

I DON'T KNOW.

MASSACHUSETT SHALLOTS.

MA SSACHUSETTS SH ALLOTS.

THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE.

WE ONLY USE MASSACHUSETTS VE GETABLES AROUND HERE.

WE PUT A LITTLE BI T OF GARLIC.

MASHED DOWN, GOOD.

DOWN LIKE THIS.

YOU CAN EITHER PEEL IT OR NOT PEEL IT- IT'S NOT REALLY IM PORTANT.

BUT LET'S NOT PEEL.

SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO PEEL IT.

YOU'VE GOT FOUR BIG CLOVES THERE.

TURN THEM OVER.

...HOW CAREFULLY YOU BROWN THESE.

YOU'RE NOT JUST TOSSING THEM AROUND.

YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT EACH ONE.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT TH EY'RE EQUALLY BROWNED BECAUSE AT THE END, WHEN WE ADD THEM TO THE SAUCE IT WILL REALLY ADD A LI TTLE BIT OF COLOR TO IT.

AND IT'S VE RY IMPORTANT THAT THEY'RE NI CE AND BROWN.

CAREFUL COOKING, CUISINE SOIGNEE.

CUISINE SOIGNEE ALWAYS.

THAT'S THE BEST.

AND I ADD A FEW BRANCHES OF THYME TO THE PLATE.

CALIFORNIA THYME?

MASSACHUSETTS.

(laughing) WE ALSO WILL NEED A FEW TOMATOES.

THOSE ARE ITALIAN PLUMS?

JUST CUT THEM IN LARGE PIECES.

YOU KEEP THE SKIN ON?

WE KEEP THE SKIN ON, IT 'S NOT REALLY... WELL, IT GIVES THEM A BETTER COLOR I THINK WITH THE SKIN ON.

YEAH.

AND YOU CAN USE ANY TYPE- IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PLUM TOMATOES.

NO.

IT CAN BE REGULAR.

AS LONG AS THEY'RE RIPE AND HAVE FLAVOR.

FLAVOR - THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

THIS TAKES ABOUT TE N MINUTES TO REALLY ROAST THOSE SHANKS OFF.

I THINK TH IS IS FINE.

CLEAN THE PAN A LITTLE BI T OF ANY EXCESS FAT.

THEN ADD CELERY, CA RROTS, THE LEEK, ONIONS SHALLOTS AND GARLIC.

AND WITH NO FAT IN THE PAN AT ALL.

WE WILL ADD A LITTLE BI T OF BUTTER.

AND WHAT IS VERY IM PORTANT NOW THAT WE REALLY ROAST TH E VEGETABLES VERY WELL BECAUSE IT WILL ADD CO LOR TO THE SAUCE.

THAT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU'RE NOT USING VEGETABLE OIL OR ANYTHING.

YOU DO USE BUTTER.

BUTTER, YEAH.

ON ACCOUNT OF THE FLAVOR.

I THINK YOU CAN US E CORN OIL OR ANY TYPE OF VE GETABLE OIL.

SOMETIMES I JUST PR EFER BUTTER AND... UM HMM.

THE VEGETABLES AR E NEARLY READY.

THEY LOOK NICE, THEY'RE SORT OF SOFTENED AND ALMOST BROWNING AREN'T THEY?

THE ONIONS BR OWN NICELY.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO HELP THE FLAVOR.

UM HMM.

I'M ADDING TO MATOES TO IT.

ONE BAY LEAF.

ONE BAY LEAF.

NOW I'M ADDING TH E THYME.

NICE, FRESH THYME ISN'T IT?

WE'LL ROAST THAT NOW FO R A FEW MINUTES.

THE JUICE IS COMING OU T SLOWLY, YOU SEE?

AND THAT WILL AGAIN, GI VE COLOR TO THE SAUCE.

YEAP.

IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO DO THIS OVER HIGH HEAT SO IT GOES RE ALLY QUICKLY.

YEAP.

IT'S REALLY A WONDERFULLY AROMATIC AROMA.

YES.

YOU SEE ALREADY THAT THE TO MATOES ARE FALLING APART AND THAT'S WH AT YOU WANT.

NOW I'M ADDING TH E LAMB SHANKS.

I PLACE THEM ONE BY ONE IN THE PAN... NICELY.

YOU WILL HAVE TWO DI FFERENT COOKING TIMES BECAUSE THREE PI ECES ARE SMALL.

AND YOU HAVE TH REE LARGE PIECES.

SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO WA TCH OUT FOR THAT.

YEAP.

HOW LONG WILL THEY TAKE ABOUT FOR THE SMALL ONES?

THE BIG PIECES AN HOUR AN D A HALF, TWO HOURS AND MAYBE THE SMALL PI ECES JUST OVER AN HOUR.

UM HMM.

WE WILL ADD THE CH ICKEN STOCK TO IT.

THAT'S ABOUT FI VE CUPS.

THEY DON'T NEED TO BE COVERED COMPLETELY.

I HAVE A LITTLE BI T MORE SAUCE HERE- I HAVE SOME VE AL STOCK.

AND IF YOU DON'T HA VE ANY VEAL STOCK JUST BROWN THE SHANKS A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THE VEGETABLES A LITTLE BIT MORE.

I THINK WE WI LL ADD THAT.

SO YOU HAVE ONE CUP OF VEAL STOCK AND SIX CUPS OF CH ICKEN STOCK.

I THINK THAT WILL BE FINE.

IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE COMPLETELY COVERED?

NO, THAT'S FINE.

WE WILL TURN TH EM AROUND.

AND FOR FLAVOR WE JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT OF CA LIFORNIA CHARDONNAY HERE.

UM HMM.

THAT'S NOT VERY MUCH.

OH, APPROXIMATELY, QU ARTER, HALF A CUP.

WE WILL LET IT BOIL PUT A COVER ON IT AND PUT IT INTO THE OVEN.

JUST HAVE TO SIMMER SLOWLY.

THAT JUST KEEPS COMING UP.

SO WE COVER IT AND WE PUT IT INTO THE OVEN.

AND I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR YOU.

IT'S QUITE HEAVY.

A PREHEATED OVEN FO R ABOUT 350 DEGREES.

AND WE JUST LE AVE IT IN THERE AND WATCH IT EACH 15, 20 MINUTES.

AND TURN THEM AROUND, TH AT THEY COOK EQUALLY.

Julia: DO WE THINK THEY'RE ALL READY.

YEAH, THEY SHOULD BE READY.

THEY COOKED ABOUT ONE HOUR AND 45 MINUTES.

YEAH.

AND YOU SEE, THEY'VE SHRUNK.

IT SMELLS GOOD.

QUITE A LITTLE BIT.

WE WILL TAKE THEM OUT NOW.

YES, THEY HAVE SH RUNK A BIT.

YEAH, THEY'RE ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE SIZE THEY WERE.

I COULD PROBABLY EAT TWO OF THOSE, COULDN'T YOU?

OH YEAH.

WELL, THAT'S WO NDERFUL.

I GUESS ONE BIG ONE AN D ONE LITTLE ONE.

AND MAYBE EVEN MORE.

YEAH.

AND THEY LOOK PRETTY GOOD.

THEY LOOK LOVELY.

DO YOU HAVE TO PR ESS THE MEAT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE DONE?

YEAH, I THINK YOU JUST CAN USE A FORK.

AND YOU CAN CHECK IF IT GOES OFF THE BONE VERY EASILY.

CAN YOU HAND ME THE CHINOIS PLEASE?

THANK YOU.

I WILL STRAIN THE SAUCE NOW.

UM HMM.

YOU COULD JUST PUT IT TH ROUGH A REGULAR STRAINER?

YES, YOU COULD.

I PREHEATED THE PAN SO IT WOULD REDUCE VERY QUICKLY.

PRESS ALL THE JUICE OUT OF THEM.

ALL THAT PR ECIOUS JUICE, YES.

NOW, WE WILL REDUCE IT HALF ON FULL HEAT.

SOMETIMES WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT FAT ALL OVER.

AND YOU JUST TAKE IT OUT.

YEAP.

AND WHILE YOU'RE BOILING IT DOWN YOU DE-GREASE IT.

AS YOU SEE, YOU SKIM ALL THIS OFF.

IT MAY BE BETTER TO HAVE A LADLE.

I KNEW WE HAD A LA DLE, THERE IT IS.

OH, GREAT.

THANKS A LOT.

TH ERE YOU ARE.

IT'S MUCH EASIER TO GO AROUND WITH THIS.

THEN YOU JUST KEEP SKIMMING IT AS YOU GO ALONG.

YEAH.

WHILE IT REDUCES IT.

NOW WE COVER THE SHANKS.

SOME FOIL TO KEEP THEM... TO KEEP THEM MOIST?

NICE AND WARM AND MOIST.

AND I WILL START THE RISOTTO.

THAT'S RIGHT.

WE'RE DOING THE BA RLEY RISOTTO.

THE BARLEY RISOTTO.

THAT WILL BE GREAT.

WE'LL START CUTTING A REGULAR ONION INTO...

I'M INTERESTED IN THAT KNIFE, JOACHIM...

IT'S A DIFFERENT SHAPE.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE LIKE THAT.

YE AH, IT LOOKS LIKE A JAPANESE KNIFE.

IS THAT YOURS THAT YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU?

NO, I DIDN'T BR ING ANY KNIVES.

AH.

WELL, IT'S NOT MINE.

SOMEBODY MUST HAVE LEFT IT.

I CUT THEM INTO RE ALLY FINE CUBES.

I CHOP THEM A LITTLE BIT.

SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO DO TH IS IN THE CUISINART.

I THINK IT MASHES IT A BIT, DON'T YOU?

YEAH, IT MASHES.

AND THERE'S TOO MUCH LI QUID COMING OUT AFTERWARD.

WE HAVE A PR EHEATED PAN HERE.

I PUT IT ON HIGH.

START OFF WITH A TOUCH OF BUTTER.

MELT THE BUTTER.

THIS STARTS OUT LIKE A REAL ITALIAN RISOTTO.

YEAH, THE SAME WAY.

ADD THE ONIONS.

I LIKE TO KEEP, WH ENEVER I DO A DISH I KEEP MYSELF TO REAL CLASSICAL GUIDELINES.

I THINK THIS IS VE RY IMPORTANT.

I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO GET A GOOD CLASSICAL TRAINING.

BECAUSE THEN YOU REALLY CAN DO ANYTHING, CAN'T YOU?

YEAH.

YOU'VE LEARNED EVERYTHING.

THAT'S DEFINITELY THE BE ST PLACE TO GET THAT.

I REALLY THINK IT 'S STILL EUROPE.

I MEAN, I WORKED IN SWITZERLAND.

AND IN SWITZERLAND YOU GET A LOT OF BASICS.

AND IN FRANCE YOU GET THE FINESSE.

YOU SEE, THEY'VE RE ALLY SWEATED FOR APPROXIMATELY A MINUTE AND A HALF.

SO WE DE-GLAZE WITH CHARDONNAY.

THAT WAS A GOOD HALF CUP THAT WENT IN THERE.

OKAY, WE WILL LET REDUCE TH E WINE AND THE ONION FOR ABOUT ONE OR TWO MINUTES.

AND THEN WE WILL AD D THE BARLEY.

THIS IS JUST PLAIN ORDINARY BARLEY.

ORDINARY BARLEY.

I LIKE THE TASTE OF IT BE CAUSE AT THE END THE RISOTTO WHEN TH E RICE IS COOKED AND IT'S A LITTLE BI T AL DENTE.

THE BARLEY STAYS AL WAYS AL DENTE.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT GETTING MUSHY.

NO, NOT AT ALL.

WELL THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

SO WE ADD THE BARLEY.

HOW MUCH YOU'VE GOT THERE, ABOUT A CUP AND A HALF.

THAT'S ABOUT TW ELVE OUNCES.

YEAP.

THAT'LL BE ABOUT A CUP AND A HALF.

THE REASON WHY I DO IT RIGHT NOW IS THAT TH E BARLEY GETS A LITTLE BIT OF FL AVOR OF THE WINE.

I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT IF YOU DO ANY RISOTTO.

THEN WE'LL ADD SOME CHICKEN STOCK TO COVER THE BARLEY.

AND WE'LL LET IT CO OK NOW VERY SLOWLY.

AND IT WILL TAKE A GOOD 20 MI NUTES TO COOK THE BARLEY 15 TO 20 MINUTES.

UM HMM.

THEN YOU KEEP ADDING A LITTLE STOCK TO IT?

AND WE ADD A LITTLE ST OCK PERIODICALLY.

IN THE MEANTIME, I WILL CUT SOME CARROTS AND SOME LEEK AND SOME SHALLOTS.

WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO BE FOR?

I WILL SA UTE THEM AND THEN AT THE END I WILL AD D THEM TO THE RISOTTO.

AH HA.

JUST TO GIVE THEM A LI TTLE BIT OF COLOR.

WELL, THAT'LL TO BE VERY PRETTY.

THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

THAT'S SO EVEN AND SMALL.

WILL THIS BE A BRUNOISE?

BRUNOISE, YEAH, IT'S,.

YEAH, IT MEANS... JU ST VERY SM ALL CUBES.

YEAP.

I CUT THE CARROTS AND I PUT THEM AGAIN ON THE MANDOLINE.

THAT'S WHY IT'S WONDERFUL WATCHING PROFESSIONALS WORK BECAUSE THEN YOU PICK UP IDEAS SUCH AS THAT FINE SLICE ON THE MANDOLINE BEFORE YOU.

WELL, IT'S MU CH EASIER TO DO IT WITH THE MA NDOLINE THAN BY HAND.

BECAUSE WHAT HA PPENS BY HAND OFTEN WITH TH E CARROTS - IT'S VERY COMPLEX TO CUT THEM.

YEAP.

NOW, I'LL CUT A FEW SHALLOTS.

AT HOME YOU CAN USE A FOOD PR OCESSOR FOR THE CARROTS THE SHALLOTS AN D LEEK.

BUT THEY WOULDN'T BE NEARLY AS NEAT AND NICE AS DONE BY HAND.

THEY GET A LITTLE BIT MU SHY BUT, FROM A TIME.

WE DON'T WANT MUSHY COOKING, DO WE?

NO WE DON'T.

WE WANT IT DONE JUST RIGHT.

THE SHALLOTS WE CHOP A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WE'LL ADD THAT TO THE CARROTS AN D THE LEEK.

I THINK WE ALSO SHOULD CH ECK THE STOCK.

ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE.

HOW IS THE ST OCK DOING?

THAT'S REDUCING DOWN NICELY.

OKAY, I WILL SAUTE TH E VEGETABLES.

THIS IS THE GARNISH FOR... NO N-STICK PAN.

WE ADD THE SH ALLOTS, LEEK... LEEKS AND CARROTS.

THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY PRETTY.

JUST SAUTE THAT FO R A SECOND.

THAT PAN IS A GOOD SHAPE, ISN'T IT WITH THE HIGH SIDES?

YE AH, PERFECT.

SAUTEING THINGS LI KE THAT.

AND AGAIN, YOU DON'T NEED VERY MUCH FAT OR BUTTER.

AND HERE YOU HA VE THE BARLEY.

I'LL HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE TASTE OF THAT.

AND THAT'S DONE.

YEAH.

THE LIQUID IS NE ARLY ALL GONE.

IT'S ABOUT 20 TO 22 MINUTES.

AND IT SHOULD BE A LI TTLE BIT CRUNCHY.

HOW WOULD YOU CALL, IT HAS TEXTURE.

IS IT TOO CRUNCHY, JU LIA?

NO, I LIKE IT THIS WAY.

OH, YOU SAID YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE LIKE MUSH IT'S TO BE LIKE A GRAIN.

YEAH I WANT IT, THAT THE GR AIN SHOWS PERFECTLY.

IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT AL DENTE WHICH IS VERY NICE I THINK.

YEAH.

AND THE SAME THING WE DO WITH THE VEGETABLES.

JUST COOK THEM FOR AP PROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE ON HIGH HEAT, AND TH EN WE WILL ADD THAT.

THEY'RE SO FINELY DICED ANYWAY.

THEY COOK VERY QUICKLY.

TO THE RISOTTO.

JUST MIX THEM.

HMM, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA PUTTING THOSE IN I THINK.

I WILL CHOP SO ME PARSLEY FLAT ITALIAN PARSLEY.

AND IT SHOULD BE REALLY CH OPPED VERY COARSE.

YOU HAVE THE BARLEY WITH TH E SMALL VEGETABLES.

WE ADD PARMESAN CHEESE QUITE A BIT.

QU ITE A BIT.

ABOUT AN OUNCE, AN OUNCE AND A HALF.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE ABOUT A GOOD HALF CUP ANYWAY.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS IT MELTS NOW.

PARMESAN HA S TO MELT.

AND THAT WILL GIVE IT A NICE KIND OF INDESCRIBABLE RICHNESS, WON'T IT?

YES.

AND THEN WE ADD TO THE RICHNESS A LITTLE BIT OF BUTTER.

PEOPLE COULD LEAVE THAT OUT IF THEY WERE AFRAID OF IT?

YEAH, DEFINITELY.

AND THAT LOVELY SMELL OF BUTTER ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.

SALT, AND TH EN PEPPER WHICH WE DIDN'T ADD IN THE BEGINNING.

YEAH.

BECAUSE OF TH E LIQUID.

LET'S TASTE IT QU ICKLY, IF... MMM.

THAT'S LOVELY.

I THINK IT HAS EN OUGH SALT THOUGH.

I THINK IT'S JUST RIGHT.

WE ADD THE PA RSLEY LAST SECOND.

WE WILL SERVE TH AT FAMILY-STYLE.

GOOD.

BECAUSE I THINK IT 'S A REAL DISH FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.

COULD YOU GIVE ME TH E LAMB SHANKS?

THEY'RE IN THE OVEN.

UM HMM.

WHERE DO YOU WANT THEM, RIGHT HERE?

YEAH, RIGHT HERE WO ULD BE GREAT.

AND YOU PLACE TH E RISOTTO IN THE MIDDLE.

UM HMM.

HMM, NICE AND HOT.

AND I PLACE TH E HOT SHANKS IN THE MIDDLE.

MAYBE JUST TH REE BIG ONES.

AND THE SMALL ONES WE TR Y TO PUT AROUND THEM.

THOSE LOOK WONDERFULLY TENDER TOO.

AND THEY ARE, REALLY PE RFECTLY COOKED.

AND THE FINAL TOUCH- WE'LL ADD MAYBE A LITTLE TOUCH OF JUST A TOUCH OF BUTTER.

JUST TO FINISH IT OFF?

ADD A LITTLE BIT OF SALT, PEPPER.

OH BOY, THAT REALLY HAS REDUCED DOWN, HASN'T IT?

THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

JUST TAKE A FE W LEAVES DO THIS AND JUST SPRINKLE IT OVER.

SO IT'S REALLY A RUSTIC DISH.

YEAP.

OH, THAT'S LOVELY.

FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.

OR TWO?

OR TWO, YEAH.

TWO LIKE US.

Julia: JOACHIM, THAT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'VE LEARNED AN AWFUL LOT WITH YOU.

THANK YOU FO R HAVING ME.

I'M VERY GRATEFUL.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU JULIA.

WELL, JOACHIM, IT'S BE EN A GREAT PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

I'VE ALWAYS ADMIRED YO UR FOOD AND I'M... OH, THANK YOU, THAT'S...

VERY PROUD THAT WE'VE HA D YOU ON OUR SERIES.

THANK YOU, I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.

AND I JUST WANT TO TH ANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

BON APPETIT.