Lamb Hearts with Baked Creamed Broccoli and Carrots

To have a nice, carb-free feast, we defrosted 2 lamb hearts and had them scallopini style, with a broccoli-carrot casserole on the side.

Pictures of how the hearts look trimmed and untrimmed can be found here .

Recipes:

Courtney's Lamb Heart Scallopini
Serves 2

2T fat (I used some leftover chicken fat, plus the excess fat from the hearts)
2 lamb hearts
2-3 T chopped onion or shallot (I used onion)
1 lg clove garlic
1/8 t undiluted beef bouillon
1/2 c tawny port (you could also use broth or stock)
2T celery leaves (you could also use parsley)

Finely chop the garlic and the celery leaves.

Trim the lamb hearts of any excess fat, ligaments, or blood vessels. Slice approximately 1/8" thick.Heat the fat in a heavy skillet. Add the heart and stir-fry 2-3 minutes. Remove the hearts to a platter and keep warm. Picture below shows the hearts keeping warm, next to the finished broccoli-carrot casserole, which is also keeping warm.

Return the pan to the heat. Add the onion and saute 1 min.

Remove from heat and add the garlic, bouillon, port or stock, and celery/parsley. Set heat to medium, return the pan to the heat, and add the heart. Saute another 1 min. Remove the heart and plate. If necessary, reduce the sauce over medium-high and pour over the hearts. Serve hot.

Picture below shows the finished dish. Again, my plating could use some help...




...and for the side...

Courtney's Creamed Broccoli-Carrot Casserole
Serves 4 as a side
(note that all ingredients reflect what I had on hand. Feel free to adjust!)

6 oz broccoli (approx; any combination of florets and stems is fine)
1 md carrot
1 2" round, 1/4" thick slice of onion
1T ghee
1T flour (I used regular wheat flour)
1/2 c milk
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t salt
1 - 2 T pecan meal
1 - 2 T shred/grated hard cheese
dash cayenne

Cut broccoli into florets and/or 1/2" pieces. Cut carrots into 1/2" dice. Finely chop onion.

Steam broccoli and carrots until just starting to get tender, approx. 5 - 8 min. Drain and rinse with cold water. Chop fine by hand or in a food processor. You can also puree it if you want a different texture.Make a roux by heating the ghee, sauteing the flour until just bubbly, and slowly adding the milk, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Stir in the broccoli-carrot mix. Keep stirring until it bubbles again and is light. Turn out into a baking dish. Picture above shows it done and ready to turn out.

Cover with pecan meal, shred cheese, and a dusting of cayenne.

(At this point you can continue, or just leave it and go away for a while)

Cook in a 425F oven until the cheese browns (see picture). Serve hot.



Eating Notes:
This time I quick-cooked the heart instead of braising it. It was a little more chewy, but just as good - full of flavor. Really, deeply satisfying.

Phil commented that while we still like pot pie and corn pudding, this type of food has become our comfort food. Somehow, over the past year we have switched from craving carb-rich stuffings and the like to breathing our happiest food-sighs over offal and veggies. And we've lost weight and gained health in the process.