Celebrating American Lamb

Lamb may seem like a spring ingredient, but it is produced in nearly every state. That means fresh, American lamb is available year-round for an amazing variety of delicious recipes.

There is a story behind every bite of American lamb you take. Before it ever makes it to your table, American lamb is raised by skilled farmers across the country from pastoral grasslands, to high country meadows.

This class is nothing short of a celebration of American lamb. Many home cooks love lamb when they go out, but remain intimidated to try their hand with this versatile protein at home. That’s why we designed this class.

In a first-ever partnership with Sur La Table, the American Lamb Board’s “Shepherd-to-Chef” campaign will join us to host a cooking class series sharing the basics of lamb cuts, butchery, prep tips and cooking techniques with easy but elegant recipes featuring local lamb.

For this class, Shepherd Lisa Dachinger from River Valley Farm will join Chef Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern and Temple Bar, to help students prepare a menu complete with an appetizer, two entrees and a side dish that will introduce students to the unlimited possibilities available to them with lamb.

Michael Scelfo, Executive Chef Russell House Tavern and Temple Bar
A Western Culinary Institute grad, Michael spent quality time as a young cook in the James Beard award-winning Wildwood Kitchen in Portland, Oregon. Four years later, at the age of 25, he found himself receiving a 2 ½ star review in The New York Times while at the helm of Long Island’s sophisticated Blond.

In 2009, Michael took the helm at Temple Bar, where his savvy use of whimsical, seasonal ingredients landed him critical praise, including the selection of his Merguez Sliders as one of The Boston Globe’s “2009 Favorite Things” and accolades from Boston magazine (2009 Best of Boston) and The Improper Bostonian (2009 Boston’s Best).