Wonder Woman of the Week: Julia Child

For a long time growing up, I loved watching cooking shows. There was something about Alton Brown or Giada de Laurentiis that made staying home on a sick day ten times better. None of these shows- or really the entire Food Network- would have existed if it had not been for Julia Child, the Wonder Woman of the Week. Shortly after the end of World War II, Julia Child moved from her California home to France and gained a respect for French cooking. During her time in France, Child came to the conclusion there was no national cuisine of the United States beyond tv dinners and breakfast cereals. Child decided to work on a cook book that would bring French cooking to American homes, and thus Mastering the Art of French Cooking was created. The book was so impressive that it is now the standard guide for the culinary community. [1]

After releasing her two-volume cook book, Julia Child hit the television screens with a televised cooking show called The French Chef. Child’s cooking shows were so iconic to the American way of life that her kitchen is now a staple of the Smithsonian. One noted aspect of the show was the stories Child would tell; about everything. Child believed everything had a history and had a story for every instrument in her kitchen. [2] While I can talk as much as I want about the most iconic chef in US history, I think some articles about chefs are better left for another medium. Below I have included one of Julia Child’s amazing recipes so you can not only read about Child’s effect on American cuisine, but taste it as well. Eat happily with Julia Child, your Wonder Woman of the Week.

Ingredients

· 3 hind shanks of lamb cut in half crosswise

· Salt

· Freshly ground black pepper

· All-purpose flour

· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

· For flavoring the braise:

· 1 medium yellow onion coarsely chopped

· 1 medium leek trimmed, quartered and washed, coarsely chopped

· 2 medium carrots coarsely chopped

· 1 large celery stalk coarsely chopped

· 1 extra large shallot peeled

· 4 large cloves garlic--unpeeled crushed

· Unsalted butter

· 6 ripe plum tomatoes unpeeled, halved and quartered

· 2 sprigs fresh thyme

· 1 bay leaf

· 5 cups chicken stock

· 1 cup veal stock

· 1/2 cup dry white wine

· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

· Barley risotto

· Sprigs of fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1. Browning the Lamb: Salt and pepper lamb shanks, dredge in flour, and pat off excess. Set casserole over moderately high heat; when hot, swirl in just enough butter to film bottom of pan. As butter foam subsides, lay in lamb shanks and sauté, turning often with tongs until all pieces are browned on all sides. Remove casserole from heat; set shanks on a side dish. Remove excess fat from casserole, but leave a film of fat to cook vegetables. Return to burner over moderate heat. Stir onion, leek, carrots, celery, shallot, and garlic into casserole, if necessary adding more butter to coat. Sauté, stirring frequently, for several minutes until lightly browned; stir in tomatoes. Raise heat to moderately high, add thyme and bay leaf and cook 4 minutes more, stirring frequently until vegetables are softened and tomatoes render juices. Return shanks to casserole. Pour on stock and wine, if necessary adding more liquid to cover ingredients. Bring to a simmer on top of stove, then cover and set in preheated 350 F oven. Shanks are done when meat is tender if pierced with a fork and can be pulled cleanly away from bone.

2. Degreasing the Braising Liquid: Remove lamb shanks to side dish, covering with foil to keep warm. Strain contents of casserole into clean saucepan, pressing on ingredients to extract all liquid and discarding solids. Using a ladle, skim any visible fat off surface of liquid. Set braising liquid over high heat to reduce by half, skimming fat off surface. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Just before serving, remove from heat and swirl in butter. Mound risotto in center of plate; arrange lamb shanks on top and ladle sauce over meat. Scatter parsley leaves and serve.

Tips/Techniques

Special Equipment Suggested: heavy 8-quart covered casserole with cover, tongs, strainer, 2 1/2-quart saucepan, and a warm platter [3]

[4]

"Julia Child Biography Chef, Television Personality, Journalist (1912–2004)." Bio.com. Accessed January 14, 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767.

"Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian." Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian. Accessed January 14, 2015. http://amhistory.si.edu/juliachild/.

Splichal, Joachim. "Braised Lamb Shanks." PBS. Accessed January 14, 2015. http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/braised-lamb-shanks/.

Newman, Arnold. “Julia Child, Photographed in Her Cambridge, Massachusetts, Kitchen, June 29, 1970.” 1970. Photo. Our Lady of the Kitchen. Vanity Fair. August 2009. Accessed January 14, 2015. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/08/julia-child200908