After a few days back on skis my confidence increased and I was enjoying myself so much on the wide blue runs that I even managed to hold my tongue as my husband said ridiculous things like “I really don’t know how to ski slowly” unironically. Just as I decided to go a teensy bit faster I inevitable wiped out (very small, in slow motion, my husband said it was quite amusing to watch), and there’s something particularly shameful about limping around a ski village. It’s like holding a big sign up saying “I don’t know how to do this as well as you do” as everyone bounces round in their kit looking all pro.
I self-diagnosed a pulled calf muscle and got almost no sympathy until a few days later when an impressively large bruise appeared, which confirmed I hadn’t been exaggerating, and once back in Paris I was bed bound for a while before being able to hop around short distances. Later in the week lunch at Cafe Varenne with an old friend from my London days cheered me up no end and we finished off with affogatos to see us through the grey afternoon.
The weather turned nice and cold which has been lovely as winter clothes are always the most flattering, and I wrapped up in layers of old sweaters to keep cozy. Paris was eerily misty and the Seine rose high in her bed which made for some good atmosphere along the bridges.
Mum had a little space left in her suitcase so we went out to the flea market to see if we couldn’t remedy that. It really is another world out there, one where you imagine several different lives for yourself as you stroll along the stalls and try and fit an eight foot chandelier into a fictional chateau or a merry-go-round horse into the corner of a ballroom that you certainly don’t have.
My son’s birthday party, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, was postponed last minute after the poor lamb spent the night before with a tummy bug. When I called to tell the other parents I was sorry for the change of plans I was unsurprised to discover that most of them had just experienced a similar night to us, the joys of community solidarity. As the cake was already bought we lit the candles anyway, and now get to *enjoy* the dinosaur decorations for another two weeks.
On Sunday we had family for lunch which meant the apartment smelt amazing as the lamb slow-cooked in the oven. We laid the table with the good china, lit the fancy candles and then spent most of the time telling Noisette to get back in her panier as she swept the floor for crumbs.
Have a great week,
- Emily
P.S. An enormous thank you to everyone who became a paid subscriber last week and as a result I donated €250 to World Central Kitchen to support them in their efforts in California and around the world.
Cheese we’re eating this week:
Brebis Basque - a semi hard cheese with raw sheep’s milk from the Basque region, matured for around 4 months.
Mimolette - a hard cow's milk cheese that was produced by defiant French subjects in response to the banning of products from Holland in the 17th century.
Crottin de Chavignol - a goat’s cheese from the Loire valley. My daughter prefers a very dry version.
All 3 cheeses were from Manu at Marché Maubert.
Pomegranate Slow Roast Lamb
In my opinion the only way to cook lamb is slow roast it, and it’s so easy to vary the recipe with whatever you have. This weekend I did a version with pomegranate molasses and spices that was just wonderful. As with most of my recipes mess around with the proportions depending on what you like and how many you’re feeding.
2 kilo shoulder of lamb. Mine was bone in but can be bone out. Leg also works perfectly
6 large waxy potatoes
1 sweet potato
1 onion
1 fennel bulb
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
Teaspoon of cumin
Teaspoon of brown sugar
1 lemon
Salt & pepper
Pomegranate seeds
Fresh mint
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Peel and thickly slice the potatoes, sweet potato and onion. Toss into your ovenproof dish (ideally one with a lid, if you don’t have one just cover tightly with aluminium paper) and season well.
Place the lamb on top of the vegetables, pour over the pomegranate molasses and sprinkle over the cumin and brown sugar, cut the lemon in half and tuck in the side. Pour in a cup of water (can also use stock or wine), put the lid on and place in the oven.
After 20 minutes turn the heat down to 140C and let cook for at least 3 hours, the longer the better.
When ready, sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and finely chopped mint.
Bon appétit!
Real Life Ski Village Photo
Tell me you’ve lived in a share house without telling me.
I just bought a new Dutch oven. That roast lamb is just the thing to try it out for the first time.
😭 my comment