Food therapy. The way the French might do it.

Harissa Marinated Lamb with Spiced Mash and
Cinnamon Onions

I freely admit that at times I have been known to seek solace for my miscellaneous woes at the bottom of a Lays' potato chip bag. The salty crunch echoes so loudly in my head that there is no room for negative thoughts. Anxiety and frustration go right out the window, if even only for a little while. You must admit, it's much cheaper than therapy and you don't have to make an appointment in advance.

In France, potato chips take up only a small amount of shelf-space at the grocery and convenience stores. The small supply seems to exist only for the cravings of expats and tourists. You quickly get the feeling that the French have more refined forms of "food" therapy.
Cat just died? A Madeleine or two might help.
Hydro is being cut off? A piece of Valrhona chocolate is sure to cheer you up.
Car won't start? A white truffle macaron from Pierre Hermé will take your mind off of it I'm sure.

You get my point.

Somehow it seems shameful to succumb to old (and unhealthy) habits when Paris has such fine foods to offer. When in Rome, as they say.




So, it's true, I've been feeling a little out of whack lately. And damn it, if the French didn't have me so brainwashed I would have marched right out to the corner store and bought myself a big old bag of potato chips, curled up on the couch and turned off the phone.

Instead, I took a deep breath, did my best to ignore the incessant yapping of the neighbour's 3-legged dog, poured myself a glass of port and got to work.

And I found my solace.
Oh yes I did.

In a plate of Harissa Marinated Lamb with Spiced Mash and Cinnamon Onions. And though, just hours before, I had been tempted to pack my bags and head back to Canada, I found myself taking the time to serve it up on a plate as fancily as I possibly could. (Ok, I'm no expert, but it wasn't a bad try was it?) And no, it's not a French recipe, but the point is, it's far more refined than my usual cure.

I felt better before I even sat down to eat it.
But I felt great once it was all in my belly.


Harissa Marinated Lamb with Spiced Mash and Cinnamon Onions
adapted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry

(Harissa is a Tunisian spicy mixture of hot chilies, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and olive oil. You can make your own or just buy a jar of it at grocery stores carrying exotic products or a Middle Eastern grocery.)

For the Lamb
8 chunky lamb chops or 4 lamb steaks

For the Marinade
8 tbsp (120ml) olive oil
2.5 tbsp (37.5ml) harissa
3 garlic cloves, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
a good handful of mint leaves, torn

Combine ingredients and coat lamb chops well. Cover and refrigerate 1.5 hours or up to overnight.
When your potatoes and onions are nearly ready, heat a griddle pan and cook the lamb on medium to high heat until desired doneness.

For the Mash
1lb potatoes, peeled
1lb 7oz parsnips, peeled and chopped
5 tbsp whipping cream
3.5oz butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp cayenne
2 fl. oz milk

Boil potatoes and parsnips separately until soft. Drain but return the potatoes to low heat to dry them out a little if they are wet. Puree the parsnips with the cream and in another bowl mash the potatoes. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the cinnamon and cayenne. Add the parsnip and potato and beat everything together. Warm the milk and add to the potato mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave lid on to keep warm if you are not serving immediately.

For the onions
2 onions, finely sliced
15g butter
1.5 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp harissa
a good squeeze of lemon juice
a small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Fry the onions in the butter and oil until golden, allowing the onions to brown slightly. Add the remaining ingredients, as well as salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve
Serve the lamb chops with warmed mash topped with the onions.

Harissa from Amazon

And thanks so much to Melissa for giving me this cookbook as a gift when she came to stay with me last weekend!