Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Obsession

Obsession

Lamb Juice

obsession -- a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling

Yes. The small container above contains lamb juices -- Perhaps 2 ounces? -- that escaped from a grilled leg of lamb while I was eating dinner. The juice is seasoned only with the salt and pepper added to the meat before grilling. The essence of grilled meat.

Obsession.

A light film of juice had accumulated on the plate I'd set the rest of the lamb on. With a suitable piece of bread it wouldn't have lasted a moment. But I didn't have any bread. And I couldn’t simply wash it down the drain. It was too good. Too precious.

Obsession.

So I carefully poured it into a container, labeled it, and then froze it. I don’t

Laughter is brightest, in the place where the food is. ~ Irish proverb

know what I'll do with it, perhaps simply thaw it and pour it over a slice of bread I just baked. Maybe a slice of tomato on another slice of perfectly fresh bread. Perhaps a couple of sardines on a third. Certainly a glass of wine to wash things down. Just a few simple flavors. A moment or three of focused pleasure.

Is saving two ounces of lamb juice obsessive?

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14 Comments:

Blogger farmgirl said...

"Is saving two ounces of lamb juice obsessive?"

Absolutely not! You wouldn't believe what I save (and I'm certainly not going to disclose it here). Hell, at least yours is labeled. : )

8/15/2006 10:51:00 PM  
Blogger Stephanie said...

Nah...I'll scrape the same amount of caramel from a pan, simply because I can't stand to toss it.

Not obsessive, no; you're just thinking ahead.

8/16/2006 08:28:00 AM  
Blogger Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Not at all! I do the same and end up with a freezer full of unlabelled bits and bobs (leftover sauces, small amounts of Thai curry, etc...)...

8/16/2006 08:31:00 AM  
Blogger Kevin said...

Looks like we're all obsessive.

8/16/2006 08:45:00 AM  
Anonymous Genie said...

Kevin,

Are you kidding me? I never even thought to do this -- if I had, I would have done it already. Brilliant idea! If that's obsession, I'm so there with you.

Actually, I make this suggestion...make some slow-roasted tomatoes with the current wonderful produce, freeze that, too, and then, on a nasty winter's day, bake your bread, make your three-slice meal using the lamb juice and the summer tomatoes (and the sardines version and the wine, of course), and you'll have a little burst of summer in the dark of winter.

Genie
The Inadvertent Gardener

8/16/2006 10:12:00 AM  
Blogger Kevin said...

Genie,
Good idea.

8/16/2006 04:22:00 PM  
Blogger s'kat said...

Not obsessive, just make certain you don't loose track of that precious juice.

8/16/2006 09:26:00 PM  
Blogger Kevin said...

S'kat,
But if I do, then someday I'll discover it. What a treat!

8/16/2006 09:36:00 PM  
Blogger kitchenmage said...

Isn't it hard to wring the little lambs out to get the juice?

8/17/2006 08:44:00 PM  
Blogger Kevin said...

KM,
Good question! I use an old towel I don't mind staining.

1) Wrap the lamb in the towel (it should be a pretty big towel) and tie one end to a Buick.

2)Then place a container with a large mouth (about 2 feet in diameter) and small base (about 2 inches) beneath the lamb.

3) Tie the other end of the towel around a baseball bat.

4) Twist the bat until all the juices run out.

Hope this helps.

8/17/2006 09:15:00 PM  
Blogger The Old Foodie said...

Kevin, I am truly delighted to find someone else who does this! I consider myself a flavour-miser. I am unwilling to waste anything that has concentrated flavour in it - there would be more meatiness in your 2 ounces than any stock-cube.

8/19/2006 04:17:00 AM  
Blogger Kevin said...

Foodie,
Thanks for stopping by. I hadn't seen your blog before, but it's right down my alley -- except for the eating coffee grounds bit.{shudder}

8/19/2006 09:39:00 AM  
Blogger kestypes said...

Hi
First let me say, love your blog.

Secondly, saving bits and bobs is exactly what I do to.

However...

I now obsesss over whether the fossil fuel cost of running the freezer outweighs the frugality part of what we're saving.

Thankfully I have two dogs with highly evolved palates.

9/13/2006 11:04:00 PM  
Blogger Kevin said...

kestypes,
Thanks. My freezer is part of my refrigerator so it costs nothing extra. My extra 'fridge is a different matter, but as a personal chef and cooking instructor I have to have the additional space.

9/14/2006 09:06:00 AM  

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