Readers of The Bitten Word cooked every recipe in the September 2013 Bon Appetit magazine. Here's their take on Lamb Tartare.
Teri: I like beef tartare & salmon tartare but lamb is not one of my favorites. So the idea of lamb tartare scared me a bit. I made the recipe as written except that I cut it in half due to the price of ingredients in my area (it would have been over $70). It was fantastic and quite easy to make. All my guests that tried it liked/loved it. This is a dish I'd order from a restaurant so I don't think I'd make it again. Thanks for the culinary adventure!
Betsy Parker: Raw lamb with a raw egg yolk on top? Mint? Preserved lemons? This was seriously out of my comfort zone. The results were surprisingly fresh, with very well-balanced flavors. My husband's take? "There were no flavors in there that repulsed me." In this case, that's high enough praise! I think medium rare is still the preferred doneness in this house.
Anushka: This recipe was simple to make and well balanced in its flavors. The olive oil and fresh lemon juice accentuated the lamb mixture really well. This appetizer is a cool variation of the traditional steak tartare and would impress most dinner guests!
Theresa : On Labor Day I gathered my ingredients and followed the recipe using a smaller amount of lamb and adjusting the seasonings accordingly. As I mixed in the seasonings and toasted the bread, the significant other was hanging out in the kitchen. The result looked beautiful as I plated it and drizzled our special olive oil over the tartare and the toast. The only thing I couldn't bring myself to do was to put the raw egg yolk on the top of this lovely mound of rare meat -- it seemed over the top. The significant other poured two glasses of spicy Gewürztraminer wine and I piled some of the lamb on a piece of toast and offered it to him, not sure what to expect. He nodded and took it and I made myself a taste too. Then, surprisingly, we both smiled and had another! The preserved lemons and mint were bright and the lamb melted in the mouth. It is not a dish I'd make again soon, but it is a lovely delicacy, and even though we were both skeptical we enjoyed every bite.
Anna: After an hour of chopping & prepping, I "cooked" raw lamb, and it was AMAZING. The hardest part of following the recipe was buying the toaster to make the toast.
Mary Margaret: I was able to find all of the ingredients for the tartare at my local grocery store and bought the (very expensive) rack of American lamb from my local butcher. The recipe was easy to prepare; however, I have no experience with carving loin off of a lamb rack so the process was a slightly laborious learning experience for me. The lamb was mild and was nicely complemented by the capers and mint. Finishing the tartare with the egg yolk and lemon juice rounded out the flavor, resulting in a fresh tasting, unique appetizer for my dinner party. Although my guests were apprehensive at first about eating a homemade lamb tartare, they all loved it and would definitely eat it again!
Get the Lamb Tartare recipe at Bon Appétit
Head back to the Mains (with meat!) Index