Cereal Recipes: Lucky Charmed Utah Lamb

Jan. 11, 2006 — -- "The Breakfast Cereal Gourmet," written by David Hoffman, who also wrote "The Easy-Bake Oven Gourmet," is taking cereal recipes far beyond Rice Krispie Treats and Chex Mix. He creates meals like Frosted Banana Pancakes with Frosted Flakes and Tomato Gratin with Grape Nut topping. It makes sense. Americans consume huge amounts of cereal. The average person eats about 10 pounds or 160 bowls of it a year, and breakfast cereal ranks third in the list of grocery-store items bought by Americans -- after soda and milk. In fact, most of the vitamins and minerals children get are from cereal.

Lucky Charmed Utah Lamb

In April 2004, David Jones and other top local culinary stars were challenged by Salt Lake magazine to create a dish using lamb, leeks and Lucky Charms. Jones is the executive chef and owner of Log Haven Restaurant. Combining nouvelle flair and mind-boggling creativity, Jones concocted a recipe for an incredible Morgan Valley Lamb tenderloin (with mushroom duxelles), which he roasted inside a leek, then served with a Malbec wine demiglace and a Lucky Charms Marbits-infused balsamic syrup -- and a salad of baby spinach garnished with toasted Lucky Charms oats on the side. The results were so interesting and luscious that it had critics wishing it would make its way onto the restaurant's menu so everyone could try it.

Again, this dish takes some work -- not to mention patience, concentration, know-how, and a deft hand in the kitchen. To help, Jones has broken it down into six major steps and even offers these shortcuts to ease the load: (1) You can make the duxelles, the Malbec wine sauce, and the balsamic syrup a day or two in advance and refrigerate until needed. (2) If you want to utilize the Lucky Charms cooking concept but bypass the lamb-leek-mushrooms combo altogether, fix the sauce and the syrup, and then use them with any primal cut of steak, lamb, chops or poultry.

Either way, you'll agree: It's "magically delicious."

Mushroom Duxelles

Sweat the shallots in the olive oil until translucent, then add the mushroom puree and sauté on medium-high approximately 10 minutes, constantly stirring. Add the chicken stock, parsley, thyme and wine; reduce heat; and continue to sauté until the liquid cooks out (approximately 20 to 25 minutes). Refrigerate until needed.

Lamb Tenderloins in Leek Tubes