Vancouver's famed occupants: Squirrels and Vikram Vij
On Wednesday night I went to Vij’s with my friend Dan. For those of you not from Vancouver, Vij’s is a bit of an institution. Fine-dining Indian food. It was, as always, delicious and wine-soaked. I am starting to think I would enjoy my trips home more if they didn’t involve constant, crippling hangovers but that never seems to stop me from getting into the wine at night. Usually it’s the only way to make the hangover better!
This is the recipe for Vij’s signature dish. This recipe seems to turn up everywhere, I have about four different cookbooks from different authors who have borrowed the recipe for their own collections. And there’s no question why. These are divinely delicious and a real showstopper when served up at a dinner party.
Adapted from Vikram Vij
Ingredients
- 2-3 French cut racks of lamb, with the bone cleaned down to the chop
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup grainy mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 litre whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried green fenugreek flakes
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Cut the racks of lamb into popsicles by slicing the chops between the bones.
- Mix the wine, mustard and salt together in a big bowl and add the chops, turning to coat on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the whipping cream, salt, paprika, cayenne, fenugreek and lemon juice. In a medium-sized heavy pot saute the garlic in canola oil. Once the garlic is golden, add the turmeric, stir and heat for one minute.
- Add the whipping cream mixture and stir, heating on low heat for a few minutes. The water in the whipping cream will evaporate, thickening the sauce. If the heat is too high the cream will separate.
- Grill the popsicles just before you are ready to serve the meal. Gently reheat the sauce and pour on top of the popsicles.
This is my kind of popsicle! Brilliant!