Catholic readers will understand better than most the danger at the heart of Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History,” a novel about what happens when religious ecstasy is divorced from morality and Christ. The book, a beautifully written thriller, is about a group of students at a fictional liberal arts college in Vermont. Encouraged by a charismatic classics professor, they attempt to summon the god Bacchus — and succeed, to their sorrow and undoing. The book was published in 1992, at the end of the materialist ’80s, when the druggie, free-love liberation movements were a mere memory and the resulting social destruction had come into view. The novel’s emerging young adults value beauty, wealth, glamour, drunkenness, decadent sexuality and the lure of esoteric knowledge. Some don’t know better. Some, like the book’s Catholic characters, should know better but are seduced.
A significant moment occurs halfway through, when the narrator, Richard, already deeply embroiled in evil, dines with his professor, in some way seeking solace. “There was roasted lamb, new potatoes, peas with leeks and fennel; a rich and almost maddeningly delicious bottle of Château Latour,” he reports. It’s an elegant, sophisticated repast, like the world that Richard hopes his education will unlock. But a final dish, “mushrooms, steaming in a red wine sauce that smelled of coriander and rue,” causes him to fear that the banquet may be poisoned — as metaphorically it has been by his sin.
Tartt is a convert to Catholicism, and “The Secret History” is unusual for a literary bestseller of its era in portraying Bacchus — or the demon wearing his guise — as real; the students summon him, and he comes. Christ glimmers around the edges, too. Richard, in his ignorance, tries to take the Eucharist at Mass (after abetting a murder) in one of the book’s final scenes. One of his accomplices holds him back; the true feast of the lamb is not for them.
I remade the professor’s beautiful roast lamb dish, and stuffed the meat with mushrooms cooked in a red wine sauce. (Château Latour is a Bordeaux; I used a more affordable bottle.) The herb rue is unavailable commercially, but research revealed that mint is a possible equivalent; I used that and coriander for the seasoning. The dish is show-stopping and takes some time to assemble, but the only real trick is to carefully clean the meat before you begin. And even if you don’t get it all right, the flavors are wonderful. You can’t go wrong with lamb — or with the Lamb, thanks be to God.
Roasted Butterflied Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms in Red Wine Reduction
Serves 6
For the lamb
— 2.5- to 3-pound leg of lamb, cleaned and butterflied by your butcher
— 2 tablespoons beef or chicken base, such as Better than Bouillon
— 2 tablespoons olive oil
— 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
— 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
— Mint leaves for garnish
For the red wine reduction
— 2 tablespoons butter
— 1 shallot, sliced
— 1 1/2 teaspoons flour
— 1 cup beef or chicken broth
— 1 cup red wine, ideally Bordeaux
— Salt and pepper to taste
For the stuffing
— 2 tablespoons olive oil
— 6 ounces wild mushrooms, very finely chopped
— 1/2 cup sliced shallots
— 2 cloves garlic, minced
— 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
— 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
— 1/4 cup bread crumbs
— 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
— Salt and pepper to taste
The night before you plan to cook, marinate the lamb. Open out and clean the lamb, cutting away all connective material and silver skin. Pound flat. Combine remaining marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag, add the lamb, rub all over to combine, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 F.
Make the red wine reduction. Heat butter in a small saucepan, add the shallot and sauté on medium heat until softened. Add the flour and stir, about 30 seconds. Combine the wine and broth in a measuring cup and add in a slow stream, stirring. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Season to taste and set aside.
Next, make the stuffing. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, add shallots and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and coriander and sauté until fragrant, then add mushrooms and cook until soft. In the last minute of cooking, add the breadcrumbs, the mint and 1/4 cup of the wine reduction, and stir to combine. Season to taste.
To assemble: Unfurl the meat and spread a layer of stuffing along its surface, leaving a bit of space along the edges. Roll and tie with kitchen string. Roast for 30 minutes at 425 F, then turn the heat down to 350 and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 140, about 30 more minutes. Rest for 30 minutes before slicing, and serve with additional red wine sauce and mint for garnish.
