Shredded Lamb on Savory Waffles
We need more savory pancakes and waffles here in the Northwest. They are commonly eaten in various forms around the world: crepes (France), msemen (North Africa), blini (Eastern Europe), farinata (Italy), injera (Ethiopia), roti (India), dosa (South Asia), martabak, jeon (Korea), bing (China), okonomi (Japan), banh xeo (Vietnam), arepa (Columbia), pupusa (El Salvador), and potato pancakes. Whew, that's a lot of pancakes and I know many people enjoy these savory foods around the USA, but when most Americans think of pancakes/waffles they think of the fluffy, sweet breakfast dish. Utilizing a common appliance most home cooks have, the waffle iron, I developed this savory waffle recipe. You can always modify this recipe and make pancakes as well. These waffles are packed full of flavor, with corn, cheddar, and scallions. I then slow-roasted lamb in red wine and apple juice to give a rich and intense flavor. The liquid was then reduced and combined with the shredded lamb to balance the sweetness of the apple juice. This lamb on top of the waffles is a perfect pairing and will hopefully shine some light on savory pancakes/waffles here in the Northwest!
Ingredients
Lamb:
- 1 (4 lbs) boneless lamb leg
- coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup garlic cloves (16 to 18 cloves)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1-2 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper
- 1 tsp ground sumac
- 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
- 2 cups apple juice
Waffles:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 & 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp fine salt
- 2 cups of buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 4 Tbsp of butter, melted
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 cup (6 oz) of sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
Instructions
Lamb:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- In a dutch oven, heat on medium/high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper all over, then sear each side of the lamb until browned (3-4 minutes per side). Remove the lamb and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the oil and lamb juices. Cook until softened, about 7 minutes.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, aleppo powder, and sumac. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add the wine and juice, stirring to combine.
- Once that begins to boil, add the lamb, then place the lid on top and bake for 3-4 hours, or until the lamb is very tender.
- Remove the lamb and set aside to cool. Strain the solids from the liquid. The solids can be eaten or made into a purée if desired.
- Place the Dutch oven back on the stove and heat on high. Reduce the liquid to roughly 25% of the original volume (10-15 minutes), then keep warm on low heat.
- Shred or chop the lamb into bite sized pieces, then add to the reduced liquid, stir to combine and keep warm on the stove.
Waffles:
- Begin heating up your waffle iron
- Put the dry ingredients through a sieve, especially the baking soda/powder to break up any chunks, then mix dry ingredients together.
- Mix the buttermilk and eggs until the the yolks are mostly combined.
- Add the buttermilk/egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix
- Once combined add the butter, then the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine
- Cook the waffles until golden brown, place in oven at 175°F to keep warm
- Serve the lamb on top of the waffles and enjoy.