Seventeen Seattle chefs competed for top honors by creating succulent and savory American lamb dishes paired with Washington wines at the first American Lamb Jam Oct. 25 at the Bell Harbor Conference Center International Promenade. The American Lamb Board partnered with Dine Around Seattle to bring "lambtastic" dishes to the table."Creative and tasty recipes from chefs showed off the extraordinary versatility and flavor of American lamb," said Megan Wortman, executive director, American Lamb Board. Guests at the American Lamb Jam enjoyed luscious lamb tastes from competing chefs, who were assigned one of four lamb cuts: loin, shank, shoulder and leg.
Winning chef and wine pairings included:
- Best of Show / First Place Loin--Barking Frog for the Sous Vide Superior Farms Lamb Loin, Coffee and Cocoa Nib Farro Risotto, Fall Squash Crépinette and Balsamic Glazed Onions with a pairing from DeLille Cellars of Syrah, Yakima Valley.
- Most Creative / First Place Shank--Monsoon East for the Pho Braised Lamb Shank Fresh Roll with Pho Gelee, Vermicelli Noodles, Micro Cilantro and Spicy Hoisin Condiment with a pairing from Donedei Wines of 2004 Merlot, Columbia Valley.
- Best Wine Paring--Nell's Restaurant for the Northstar pairing of a 2006 Merlot, Columbia Valley with Braised Lamb Shoulder with Hummus, Rosemary and Black Currants.
- First Place Shoulder--Lola for the Anderson Valley Lamb Shoulder, Sweetbreads, Quince and Sumac Tagine with a pairing from Spring Valley Vineyard of 2006 Uriah, Spring Valley Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley.
- First Place Leg--Ponti Seafood Grill for the Superior Farms Lamb-Waterchestnut Potstickers with Black Vinegar-Ginger Dipping Sauce with a pairing from Kiona Vineyards Winery of 2003 Estate Reserve Syrah, Kiona Estate Vineyard, Red Mountain.
- People's Choice Award--Steelhead Diner for the Braised Lamb Shanks with Balsamic-Mission Fig Conserva and Truffled Hominy Polenta with a pairing from McCrea Cellars of 2004 Syrah, Cuvee Orleans, Yakima Valley.
- Honorable Mention--Barolo Ristorante for the Stinco di Agnello Brasato – Braised Lamb Shank with Sicilian Wine, Rosemary and Vegetables with a pairing from J. Bookwalter Winery of 2006 Foreshadow Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley.
For recipes and additional information about American lamb, visit www.americanlamb.com.
