Lamb Jam Celebrates Lamb with Twenty-One Dishes and More

You're looking at the dish that won Best of Show at the second annual Lamb Jam Seattle. Chef Mark Bodinet (pictured, right) of Copperleaf Restaurant at Cedarbrook Lodge took the overall prize and also a win in the "Shoulder" category for his grilled lamb shoulder confit with preserved huckleberries and creamy parsnips. As the winner, he will now go on to compete against the winners of the Boston, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco events.

Everyone who attended Lamb Jam was a winner, getting to sample 21 lamb dishes with 21 paired wines for a reasonable entry fee of $45. The event also featured some fine music from the band FOUR.

I was in the judges' room, listening to "Layla" (and other assorted love and non-love songs) while rating lamb dishes which came to the room every six minutes for over two hours. (As did the wines to match; our winner was Buty's 2007 Columbia Rediviva, which was paired with the overall winning dish.) Rating by presentation, creativity, and taste, we chose the following winners (it's interesting to note that they're all from hotel-based restaurants) in addition to the Shoulder category:

Shank: Chef Angie Roberts of BOKA Kitchen + Bar for Moroccan lamb shank sloppy joes

Loin: Chef Bobby Moore of Barking Frog for lambcetta and confit chanterelle pot pie along with lamb carpaccio, arugula, and white truffle oil (this dish also won the event's People's Choice prize)

Leg: Chef Gavin Stephenson of the The Georgian for pepper and lovage-crusted smoked leg of lamb kabob with tomato-basil crostini

And I can't help but share photos of a couple of my favorite dishes that didn't make the podium as winners:

Chef Ethan Stowell's lamb loin tartare with anchovies, garlic, and mint on toasted pumpernickel

Chef Tyler Hefford-Anderson's (Salish Lodge & Spa) sous vide espresso-crusted loin of lamb, lamb jam, autumn squash and fig salad, savory truffle graham cracker, and popcorn shoots