FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: April 27 , 2006
Contact: Linda Funk
1-866-430-2590 ext 241.
Photos available upon request
Roth Käse GranQueso the Signature Ingredient in
Spring Lamb Presentation
MONROE, Wisconsin—Spring brings lamb to culinary minds and chefs’ tables all across the country, and Andrew Meek, Chef/Owner of Sage, the restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa is no exception. His Rack of Lamb with Roth Käse GranQueso, Root Vegetable & Potato Dauphinoise and Parsley GranQueso Pesto, however, is nothing short of exceptional.
Chef Andrew prepares racks of lamb in the simplest of way (seared and baked to perfection)…and then pairs them with a scrumptious dauphinoise of root vegetables, enriched with Roth Käse GranQueso. This same Manchego-style cheese (crafted from cow’s milk instead of sheep’s milk) emerges as the signature ingredient in the Chef’s finishing touch to the dish: a Parsley GranQueso Pesto drizzled across the lamb.
"The cheese has both a bite and a bit of sweetness to it that gives the dauphinoise a delicious, distinctive flavor all its own that also stands up to the lamb," says Chef Andrew. "And it melts just right—not too grainy, not too runny, and not too much pull."
And what about the pesto? “I wanted something a little unexpected, but not jolting,” Chef says. “The parsley gives me a cleaner-tasting base to start with than traditional basil, and lets me layer on the ultra-richness of the macadamia nuts and the sharp-sweetness of the GranQueso.
“I wouldn’t have thought of using a Spanish-style cheese in these ways, but when you taste the GranQueso, its unique flavor profile takes you in a lot of creative directions.”
GranQueso is both an original Roth Käse creation and an award-winner. It’s aged for six months to develop the sweetness-with-a-bite that Chef Andrew finds so appealing. Like all Roth Käse cheeses, GranQueso is hand-crafted by master cheesemakers according to traditional techniques. With roots in Switzerland, Roth Käse is now a leading manufacturer and marketer of handcrafted, award-winning specialty cheeses in Monroe, WI, making only the highest quality, best tasting cheeses.
For more information on Roth Käse, contact: Kirsten Jaeckle, Director of
Marketing 608.328.2122 ext. 8, or visit the website at www.rothkase.com.
Rack of Lamb with
Roth Käse Gran Queso, Root Vegetable & Potato Dauphinoise
and Parsley GranQueso Pesto
Yield: 6 servings
Andrew Meek, Chef/Owner, Sage, the restaurant, Des Moines, IA
Source: Roth Käse USA, Ltd.
Lamb
3 full racks of lamb, cleaned, frenched & trimmed of fat*
Salt & pepper to taste
Canola oil for searing
Roth Käse Gran Queso, Root Vegetable & Potato Dauphinoise
Parsley Pesto for garnish (recipe below)
* Chef Andrew prefers Colorado lamb
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Preheat a sauté pan on high heat for several minutes or until lightly smoking. Add canola oil and sear one lamb rack on all sides until golden brown. Remove rack when finished, drain canola oil from pan and wipe out with a paper towel. Reheat sauté pan and repeat these steps for remaining two racks.
- Place a meat rack on a sheet pan and place lamb on rack. Bake in preheated oven for 12-13 minutes (for medium rare), remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
- To assemble, slice racks of lamb. Place square of Roth Käse Gran Queso, Root Vegetable & Potato Dauphinoise on plate and arrange 4 lamb bones around or next to it. Add Parsley Pesto across the middle of the bones.
Roth Käse Gran Queso, Root Vegetable & Potato Dauphinoise
8 Russet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
6 ounces Roth Käse Gran Queso, chopped fine in food processor
5 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped fine in food processor
4 carrots, peeled, chopped fine in food processor
2 medium turnips, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 medium rutabagas, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 small celery root, peeled, chopped fine in food processor
1 bulb fennel, peeled, chopped fine in food processor
Unsalted butter pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
Cornstarch for dusting
5 Tablespoons pulled fresh thyme
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Dot the bottom of a 6-quart casserole dish with unsalted butter pieces. Line bottom of casserole with 1/3 to ½ of the potato slices, overlapping tightly like shingles on a roof so that cheese won’t leak through.
- Dust potato layer lightly with cornstarch through a sieve, salt and pepper.
- Layer with 1/3 to ½ of each of the remaining ingredients, in this order: garlic, fennel, rutabaga, celery root, carrot, Roth Käse Gran Queso, thyme and turnip. Repeat layers (probably 3 or 4) until all the potato shingles are gone, leaving Roth Käse Gran Queso and carrots for the top 2 layers.
- Cover casserole dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 1½ to 2 hours or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Parsley Gran Queso Pesto
1 bunch Italian parsley
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
4 Tablespoons toasted macadamia nuts
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 ounces (very cold & cubed) Roth Käse Gran Queso
- Place all ingredients in a blender, cover and purée until nearly smooth—leave some chunks for a more rustic appearance.
Click here to download "printer friendly" PDF
