Baltic Lamb & Kale Soup (photo courtesy of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Best-selling author Jean Anderson has come up with a terrific new book, Falling Off the Bone, a collection of recipes for simple, delicious meat dishes just like grandma used to make, but updated for contemporary kitchens and tastes. With beautiful color photographs throughout, her cookbook shows just how mouthwateringly delicious simple home cooking can be.

The recipes are inspired by traditional European stews and soups, but except along the Baltic where sheep graze salt marshes, lamb and mutton are not popular in Germany, Poland, Denmark, and other countries washed by those icy waters. Even in the U.S., Jean found few recipes for lamb, most were for leg of lamb, and her focus was on soups and stews that make the most of bony or sinewy cuts. This recipe certainly does that!

Ingredients for 4 to 6 Servings

• 4 Ounces double-smoked slab bacon, cut in ¼-inch dice, or 4 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut crosswise in ¼-inch strips
• 1 Pound boneless lamb shoulder or neck slices, trimmed of excess fat and cut in ¾-Inch cubes
• ½ Pound kielbasa, halved lengthwise and each half thinly sliced
• 2 Large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 Cup finely diced celery root
• 2 Large whole bay leaves (preferably fresh)
• 1 Quart (4 cups) chicken broth
• 1 Cup water (about)
• 1 Teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 Bunch kale (about 1 pound), stems and central ribs removed and leaves cut in 1- to 2-inch pieces (see Note below)
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard blended with
• 1½ Tablespoons sugar (Jean prefers raw sugar)

Preparation

1. Sauté bacon in a large heavy broad-bottomed soup pot over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until all fat has rendered out and only crisp brown bits remain—about 10 minutes. Using a slotted, spoon, scoop browned bits to paper toweling to drain and reserve. Pour off all drippings, then spoon 4 tablespoons back into pot. Reserve remaining drippings.

2. Sauté lamb and kielbasa in drippings over moderately high heat, stirring often, until nicely browned—8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift to a bowl and reserve.

3. Add onions, celery root, and bay leaves to drippings and sauté, stirring often and adding another tablespoon drippings, if necessary, until limp and lightly browned—10 to 12 minutes.

4. Return lamb and kielbasa to pot along with accumulated juices, add broth, water, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Adjust heat so mixture barely bubbles, cover, and simmer slowly for 1½ hours. Check pot occasionally and if liquid seems skimpy, add a little more water.

5. Add kale, pushing down into soup, cover, and simmer until kale and lamb are both tender— about 1 hour longer. Smooth in mustard mixture. Discard bay leaves, taste for salt and pepper, and adjust as needed.

6. To serve, ladle into heated large soup plates, scatter a few reserved bacon bits over each portion, and accompany with crusty chunks of French or Italian bread.

Note: Choose flat-leafed kale if you can find it—the curly is difficult to clean and cut. To remove stem and coarse central rib of each leaf, cut alongside each rib with a sharp knife and pull away from leaf, bringing the stem with it. At this point, I stack leaves in groups of four or five, then cut in pieces with my fiercest chef’s knife and dump into a large mesh colander. Once all the kale is cut, I wash well under cool running water, then leave the kale to drain while I proceed with the recipe. When it’s time to add the kale to the soup, I simply upend the colander over the pot and push the kale into the soup. The water droplets clinging to the leaves increase the amount of soup liquid slightly and that’s good.

To learn more about Jean's wonderful new book, go to: Falling Off the Bone

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