Ken Morris, Cooking with Ken in Napa Valley: Waiting on spring

Mother Nature works so that sheep mate in the fall, and lambs are born in the spring when the weather is mild and the grass is plentiful. This gives them the best chance to survive and thrive. When you buy lamb, it is the meat of a sheep that is less than 1 year old. It should be lean, tender meat with a pink or pale red color.

Since the earliest times, the highly valued spring lamb was sacrificed in religious ceremonies. In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites in Egypt to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood, thus sparing their firstborn sons as the Angel of Death passed over them during the 10th plague.

Each spring, Jews still celebrate this event that forced the Pharaoh to release them with a Seder that includes a lamb's shank bone symbolizing that sacrifice. In the New Testament, Lamb of God is a title for Jesus that first appears in the Gospel of John. As a result, since ancient times, a lamb has been a symbol of Christ during Easter, when an innocent person was sacrificed to take away the sin of the world.

In Muslim countries, lambs are used to celebrate the New Year.

Eggs represent new life and rebirth, so eggs became a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ: Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolized new life emerging from the eggshell. Eggs at Easter were painted red to symbolize the blood that Jesus shed on the cross, which eventually led to eggs being dyed in difference colors and the symbolism being forgotten.

No such theological thought here for this menu. I’m just pulling together some favorite spring foods that combine to make a great menu.

Deviled eggs

Serves 4 average eaters or two egg-loving diners.

The list of extras that you can add to deviled eggs is long, but the main thing is to not to overcook the egg or the yolk will be encased in green.

Based on salad bars and potlucks that I’ve visited over the years, some cooks don’t think it’s a problem, but here is what’s going on: Protein in egg whites contain hydrogen and sulfur. As the shell of the egg gets hotter, the gas is forced towards the yolk. The egg yolk contains iron, and when it meets the hydrogen and sulfur, it results in discoloration around the perimeter of the egg due to ferrous sulfide formation.

The dreaded rotten egg smell is from hydrogen, sulfur and iron reacting to create hydrogen sulfide. While the fire department would classify this as a deadly gas, I haven’t read of anyone dying. Simply, it’s graphic indication that the yolk was overcooked and rubbery, and it may smell bad.

How to stop it? Time the eggs when you put it in boiling water and have an ice bath ready to stop cooking as soon as you pull them out.

8 large eggs, brought to room temperature. (Best to use eggs that are at least 7 to 10 days old, which allows the egg to take in air, helping to separate the membrane from shell.

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped pickle relish (drained)

2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

2 teaspoons mustard

2 dashes hot sauce

Kosher salt

Spanish Pimentón Dulce to sprinkle over the top of the eggs (this is a smoked, sweet pepper that I love to top a lot of food with. Well worth buying a can)

Bring a small pot of water (large and deep enough for 8 eggs) to boil. Carefully add eggs with a slotted spoon so they don’t crack. Adjust flame so water is at simmer and time the eggs for 9 minutes. Drain the pot, then roll the eggs around so they crack, then transfer eggs to waiting bowl of ice water. Let sit until cool. Crack the eggshell by gently rolling it on the counter. I’ve had good luck running water under the shell and membrane to help peel the shell off without damaging the whites.

While cooking the eggs, whisk together mayonnaise, relish, chives, mustard, a couple of dashes of hot sauce and a good sprinkling of salt. Halve peeled eggs lengthwise. Scoop yolks into the mayonnaise mixture and place whites on serving platter. Gently mash yolks with dressing. Taste for salt or a squeeze of lemon if it tastes dull. Use two spoons to stuff eggs halves with yolk mixture. Top each egg with a sprinkle of the red Spanish pimentón. I think they taste best when chilled before serving.

Twice cooked baby potatoes

Serves 4

I know, it seems like extra work when both the potatoes and the lamb require two steps to cook, but boiling the potatoes in water makes the interior creamier than simply roasting them in the oven. The potatoes are cooked until just done, then cooled and coated with good olive oil and a hefty dash of salt, then heated and browned. If you have a favorite spice blend, I like to add it after the potatoes are done so the spices don’t burn.

1.5 lb. baby Dutch potatoes (can be any small potato)

Kosher salt

Extra-virgin olive oil

Any spices you love, ground

Fill a pot that will hold all the potatoes with extra room on top and fill it with cold water.

Slice each potato in half length way and immediately put in the water to prevent browning.

When all the potatoes are sliced, heat the pot over high heat until the water just begins to boil, then reduce to a simmer and start timing. Start testing the potatoes after 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how thick the potatoes are. A sharp knife should be able to smoothly slide through the potato when done.

Slide the potatoes into a colander and lightly rinse the potatoes with cold water to stop cooking. Let the potatoes dry, then tip them on to kitchen towel to completely dry.

Preheat the oven to 450°. When ready to cook, add a tablespoon or more of olive oil to a large bowl and tip the potatoes inside. Toss to cover all the pieces with oil then add salt.

Slide the pieces onto a half sheet pan covered with parchment paper and arrange all the potatoes cut side down. (By the way, you can buy a box of half sheet pan size pieces of parchment paper, so you don’t have to stop and roll out a piece and cut each time you use them.)

If you’re cooking the lamb dish below, place the sheet pan in the hot oven the same time as the lamb. If not, time the potatoes for 15-20 minutes.

Ideally the lamb comes out first, rests while the potatoes roast about 5 minutes more. The potatoes are already done inside, so you’re looking for a nice brown char on the outside.

To make sure there is no extra oil on the potatoes, I dump them in a waiting bowl that has a couple of paper napkins in the bottom and side and toss the potatoes for just a moment. If only two at the table, the leftover potatoes are great for reheating for another dish in the oven (the flesh seems to get hot but soggy in the microwave) and I often dice up a few to include in an egg frittata.

Rack of Lamb Coated with Rosemary and Mustard

Serves 2-3 people

1 rack of lamb (usually comes with 8 rib chops, so 2 to 3 for each person)

Kosher salt

Rosemary and Mustard Coating

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard (I like the Country Style)

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped (dried rosemary is a sad second choice here) or substitute your favorite fresh herb

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ fresh lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

This is easy to do but it does require two steps: browning the lamb, then applying the herb and mustard mix and roasting it in the oven or on your charcoal grill adds a nice smokiness to the lamb.

If the bones have not been Frenched, meaning the meat and fat removed down to rib meat, use boning knife to remove the meat and fat between the bones, scrape the bones, then use a paper napkin to pull off any remaining membrane on the bones so they look neat.

While you do that, heat the oven or grill to 450°F. At the same time put a cast-iron skillet or similar heavy pan over high heat.

Season the lamb with salt (I find pepper burns but if you really like it, it’s your lamb.) and once the pan is very hot use kitchen tongs to place the lamb meat side down in the skillet. Hold the lamb there for a couple of minutes until it is seared, then turn it over and sear the exposed meat on the bone side of the rack. This will only take about 4-5 minutes total.

Mix all the ingredients of the coating in a small bowl. Brush the coating on the meat. Place the rack in an oval baking dish or other narrow pan and cover the exposed rib bones with a strip of aluminum foil so they don’t burn. I cut a piece large enough to cover one side of the bones, then fold it over and crimp it around so the bones are protected on all sides.

Place the baking dish in the oven/on the grill and start testing the meat at 20 minutes. For lamb, rare is 115°F to 125°F; medium rare: 125° to 135° and medium is 140° to 145°. Once you step off into medium well and well done tempature with lamb, the taste is much more gamey and it becomes tough, so make sure you use an instant-read thermometer to protect your investment.

Once the temperature is 5 to 10 degrees below your ideal temperature, remove the lamb and let it rest on a cutting board. After five minutes use a chef’s knife to cut down along a bone to cut between the rib bone. You can fan two or three ribs on the plate for a nice presentation, but they cool quickly, so be ready to serve as soon as you’ve cut all the chops.