THE Dish: Chef Jimmy Bradley's roasted leg of lamb

(CBS News) In 1999, Jimmy Bradley opened a restaurant called The Red Cat in New York's Chelsea neighborhood. The Red Cat was one of the first restaurants on 10th avenue and 15 years later it is still thriving as well as one of the last of the originals standing

Special Section: Food and Wine

In October 2001, Bradley opened The Harrison, which is a sister restaurant to his other establishment, and will soon celebrate its 12 year anniversary.

Bradley attended The University of Rhode Island for school. However, he received a scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America, but decided to pass on culinary school and go for a more hands on approach, and is quite literally, a self made chef.

In 2006, the chef published "The Red Cat Cookbook" and in 2010, he competed on Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" season 2.

Bradley joins us with his ultimate dish roasted leg of lamb with red onions and sour cherries.

Roasted leg of lamb with red onions and sour cherries

1 leg of lamb, bone in, 10 to 12 pounds

1/4 cup plus two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped basil

1/3 cup freshly ground black pepper


4 medium red onions

1/2 Cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other full bodied red wine

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1 cup veal stock or low sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon of butter

3/4 cup dried sour cherries soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained

1. Rub the lamb leg all over with 1/4 cup of the oil, then coat with basil and pepper. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap for at least two hours or up to 24 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

3. Season the lamb all over with salt; set, fat side up, on the rack in a shallow roasting pan.

4. Roast for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the lamb reads 120 degrees to 125 degrees for medium rare another 90 minutes or two hours.

5. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, tent with foil to keep it warm, and let it rest for 20 minutes, reserve the pan and it's juices. Do not turn off the oven.

6. Meanwhile, peel the onions, cut off both ends, and slice each onion in half at the equator into two thick rings.

7. Place the rings flat on a baking dish, drizzle with remaining two tablespoons oil, season with salt and pepper and roast until soft and caramelized, approximately 30 minutes.

8. While the onions are roasting, make the sauce; skim any fat from the lamb's roasting pan.

9. Set pan over two burners, add the red wine and vinegar, bring to a simmer over high heat, and reduce by half, approximately four minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

10. Pour in stock, bring to a simmer, and simmer until nicely thickened, five to eight minutes.

11. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, and the sour cherries

12. Pour in any accumulated juices from the resting lamb

13. To serve, cut the lamb lengthwise against the grain until you reach the bone, rotate the leg and repeat.

Potatoes with Anchovies, Capers, and Olive Oil

1 1/2 pounds of Red Bliss Potatoes (about six medium) cut into 1/4 inch coins or thicker

1/ 4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


Freshly ground black pepper

4 anchovy fillets minced

2 tablespoons drained capers

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup sliced parsley

2 teaspoons chopped oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

2. Put the potatoes in a bowl, drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread out on a cookie sheet in a single layer and roast until tender to a knife tip, golden, blistered and slightly crips, approximately 15 minutes

4. Meanwhile mash the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over low heat

5. Add the anchovies and mash with a spoon to dissolve

6. Raise the heat, add the capers and season with pepper and the red pepper flakes

7. When the potatoes re done, add them to the pan, with the anchovies and capers and toss well

8. Add the parley and oregano and season with salt and pepper

9. Transfer to a serving bowl an serve at once

Baked Fontina with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Thyme

1 1/2 pounds Italian Fontina, soft, brown rind trimmed and discarded, cut into 1-inch dice

1/4 cup olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon thyme

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary


Freshly ground black pepper

Sliced country bread or rolls

1. Preheat the broiler. For individual servings, divide the Fontina among four 6-inch cast-iron pans.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter the garlic, thyme and rosemary over the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

3. For one large pan, use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and follow the same directions. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 6 to 7 minutes.

4. Serve each person an individual pan, setting it on a trivet or napkin, or serve the 12-inch pan from the center of the table.

5. Pass the bread alongside for dunking.

Quick Saute of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds and Pecorino

5 cups zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick, then sliced again to resemble matchsticks (about 3-4 small zucchini)

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 pound pecorino romano, sliced into very thin sheets


salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Divide the oil among two large, heavy-bottomed skillets and heat over high heat.

2. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add half of the almonds to each skillet.

3. When the almonds are golden brown and toasted (apprx 30 seconds), add half of the zucchini to each pan and toss to coat zucchini with hot oil. (You just want to warm the zucchini, not cook it.)

4. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Return to heat for about 30 seconds to warm throughout.

6. Divide zucchini and almonds among 4 warmed plates, top with the sheets of pecorino and serve while it's still nice and hot.

Fried Green Beans

With Sweet Hot Mustard



11/4 cups Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. dry mustard

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. hot sauce

3 tbsp. light soy sauce

3/4 cup honey

Green Beans:

1 pound green beans, trimmed

4 egg whites

3 cups flour

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. club soda or seltzer


Canola oil for frying



1. Put the Dijon, dry mustard, hot sauce, soy and honey in a saucepan and set over low heat.

2. Whisk until all ingredients are incorporated and the sauce is warm, approximately 5 minutes.

3. Transfer to a small serving bowl and set aside to cool.

Green Beans:

4. Line a plate or platter with paper towels.

5. Pour the oil into a large pot to a depth of 4 inches and heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees.

6. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.

7. Whisk in the flour and club soda.

8. Dip the beans into the batter, letting any excess batter run off, and carefully lower the beans into the oil in small batches, so they do not stick together. (Do not overcrowd or the oil can overflow and the beans will not cook evenly.)

9. Cook the beans, stirring periodically to keep them from sticking together, until light golden brown, approximately 3 minutes.

10. Remove the beans from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer them to the paper towel-lined plate.

11. Season immediately with salt.

12. Let the oil return to a temperature of 350 degrees and repeat with another batch of beans. Continue to repeat until all of the beans have been battered and fried.

13. Serve the beans hot in a bowl or on a platter, passing the mustard sauce alongside for dipping.

Sunflower Salad



2 large beets

6 baby golden beets

1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

2 heads Bibb lettuce, separated into leaves

1 1/2 cups packed sunflower sprouts, trimmed to 1 12 to 2 inches

2 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1 ounce grated, remaining cut into shards with a vegetable peeler

Sunflower Vinaigrette (recipe below)

1. Bring medium or large sauce pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Add the beets and boil until tender to a knife-tip, approximately 12 minutes for the baby beets and 40 minutes for the large beets

3. While the beets are boiling, heat a skillet over med-high heat and add sunflower seeds and flax seeds and toast lightly until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and set aside

4. When the beets are done, drain them, and when cool enough to handle, peel and quarter the baby beets. Transfer to bowl and drew with extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside

5. Peel the large beets and slice them very thin crosswise, ideally on a mandolin. Arrange the beets in an overlapping pattern on plates.

6. Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces, gathering them in a large bowl. Add the sprouts and grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.

7. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss.

8. Divide among plates and top with all seeds and cheese shards. Arrange some baby beet wedges around each salad and serve.

Sunflower Vinaigrette


1 shallot, finely diced

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 teaspoon sugar


Freshly ground pepper

1. Whisk the shallot; rice, sherry, and champagne vinegars; sunflower oil; and sugar together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

For the strawberry rhubarb mixture

3 lb. peeled and sliced rhubarb

3 1/4 lb. cleaned fresh strawberries

2 cups sugar

2 cups grenadine

For the streusel topping

4 cups a/p flour

4 cups almond flour

2 cups sugar

2 cups chilled, cubed butter

1. Poach rhubarb with grenadine and sugar until the rhubarb is soft but not mushy. Chill overnight.

2. Mix together with strawberries.

3. Fill a small baking dish with the chilled mixture.

4. Mix the streusel ingredients in a kitchen mixer with the paddle attachment until mixed well yet still crumbly.

5. Chill the streusel mixture.

6. When the streusel dough is thoroughly cooled, place on top of the strawberry rhubarb mixture.

7. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

8 Allow to cool until warm, and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.



Live Video

Watch CBSN Live
