As a little girl I refused to eat lamb. Sheep were way too cute, and I couldn’t bear to imagine them dying for my sake. I also hated the rich, slightly gamey flavor.

My mom would try to cajole me into having just a little, since I was anemic and lamb is said to be one of the richest and most absorbable sources of iron. I was adamant: “No can do, mom; I would rather be anemic for life.” Ok, those probably weren’t my exact words, but you get the picture.These days, I’m down with lamb as long as it’s as local as possible, and always organic. Working at a (super fancy) Greek restaurant through college opened me up to all the different ways lamb can be flavored – from braising the shank in honey until it’s crackly and caramelized to quickly grilling chops with a dry herb rub to a perfect medium rare (please don’t order them any more well done than medium).

If you’re new to lamb, one of the best ways to balance the natural flavor is with fresh mint. I know some people swear by mint jelly, but I can’t go near the gelatinous, sugary stuff. I much prefer the clean flavor of fresh mint mingling with the rich lamb.

These little lamb meatballs came out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and super herbaceous. Paired with a celeriac purée, crispy sautéed mushrooms, and clean spinach tossed with the somewhat-elusive and drool-worthy Meyer lemon, this meal was a total texture party.

The celeriac purée was incredibly creamy, and had some southern smoke going on – the secret is three types of pepper: black, white and red (cayenne) – complimenting the crispy, minty-fresh meatballs. The mushrooms added depth and crunch, and the Meyer lemon-kissed spinach kept things bright.

This meal is a great example of how gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free living can be delicious – you’re not missing out on anything here.

Bon appétit!

Minty Lamb Meatballs
Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1/2 pound local, organic ground lamb
3/4 cup gluten-free or grain-free flour of choice
1/2 cup almond meal
1 farm-fresh egg
1 medium white onion
2 T fresh thyme
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
3 T fresh mint, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste

Method

Combine lamb, flour, almond meal and egg in large bowl. Salt meat directly. Dice onion and herbs and sauté in olive oil. Add salt and white pepper.

Add seasoned herb and onion mixture to bowl, and mix thoroughly with clean hands. Heat olive oil in large pan on high heat. Form mixture into small patties and add to hot pan.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Lamb can be served rare, so cook to your preference. I don’t recommend beyond medium.

Creamy Celeriac Purée
Serves 2-3

Ingredients

2 medium celeriacs
1 medium white onion
1/2 cup coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
3 T fresh sage, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
White pepper
Cayenne

Method

Peel and chop celeriacs into equal size pieces, for even cooking. Add to pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, until very soft. Add to blender. Dice and sauté onion, add sage, sea salt, and all three peppers to pan. Add to blender. Add coconut cream or milk, additional olive oil if desired, and 1/4 cup of water. Purée on high until creamy. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Add more coconut milk or water to loosen, if necessary.

Last step: toss fresh spinach with juice of 1 Meyer lemon and olive oil. Garnish with Maldon sea salt.

Email me at lula@lulabrown.com with any questions.