Stuffed lamb loin is perfect for Mother's Day

Noisette is a French term for a particular lamb, veal or beef cut. It is the most tender meat cut from the rib or loin. To get it, you often would have to preorder the lamb loin from your supermarket butcher and be willing to pay the price.

As Mother's Day is drawing near, I thought this recipe for Stuffed Lamb Loin Noisette would be a rather appreciated symbolic gesture: undertaking such an arduous culinary expedition. I am certain that all mothers will be eternally grateful for this exquisite dish. But there are a few steps needed to make it happen.

First, trim any undesired fat from the lamb — which is usually very little. The second step is to thoroughly tenderize the loin. If it is a large cut, you will need to butterfly it first; if small, pound it carefully as it is until you get an even, flat piece of meat.

The next step is to stuff the loin with a mixture of your favorite ingredients. I opted for Swiss chard because it is in season and offers an interesting contrast, as it is a bit crunchy. Combined with golden raisins and walnuts, the flavors in the stuffing make a harmonious blend.

Before baking, the loin needs to be rolled tightly, tied with string, browned in butter then, finally, baked.

We will serve this dish for Mother's Day brunch and dinner in addition to leg of lamb, ribs and boneless shank.

STUFFED LAMB LOIN NOISETTE

Serves four to six

2 bunches Swiss chard, cut into 1-inch pieces

1⁄4 cup golden raisins, chopped

1⁄4 cup walnuts, chopped

2 lamb loin

Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon ground coriander

4 ounces butter

Preparation

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and ground pepper. Cook the chard in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain the chard and let it cool. Mix it with the raisins and walnuts and set aside.

If the loins are large, use a sharp knife to butterfly them. If they are small, there is no need to butterfly them. Put a cloth under a wooden or plastic board (to protect the surface of your counter). Put the loins flat on the board and cover them (inside a zip-close bag is ideal) and pound gently with a tenderizer mallet until evenly thin.

Season the lamb with salt, pepper and coriander. Spread half of the chard mixture over the flattened loin and roll it tightly. Tie the roll with kitchen string at regular intervals. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a frying pan, melt the butter and brown all the sides of the loins for five minutes. Place the loins with the juice from the frying pan into a baking dish and bake for eight minutes.

Remove from the oven and place the loins on a cutting board to cool. Do not discard the juice left in the baking pan. You can use it as a starter for any desired sauce. (I will be developing recipes for sauces in the next column).

Slice the loins 1⁄2-inch thick and serve while warm. Ideal accompaniments are rice pilaf, couscous or mashed potatoes.

Salim Ben Mami is head chef and owner of Café Collage restaurant in Oregon House, Calif. Contact him at 530-692-2555 or ccollage@succeed.net. His website is cafecollage.net.