FOOD + DRINK in THE KITCHEN WITH cont...
SLOW- BRAISED SPRING LAMB
WITH MINT PESTO, GREEN BEANS AND GARLIC-ROASTED JERSEY ROYAL POTATOES
Prep time: 45 minutes Cook time: 12 hours Serves: 3- 4 people
Ingredients:
• 1 boned shoulder of spring lamb( approx. 1.5kg- 2kg)
• 1 large carrot
• 1 bunch of mint
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 sticks of celery
• 50g pine nuts
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 400ml chicken stock
• 50g grated Parmesan
• 2 shallots
• 400ml red wine
• 125ml olive oil
• 1 spring of thyme
• 500g fine or French beans
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• 5 bay leaves
• 1kg Jersey Royal potatoes
Method:
For the lamb:
1. Bone, trim and butterfly the shoulder of lamb, reserving the trimmings, bones and any excess fat for later use.
2. Finely dice the garlic cloves and rosemary, then mix with a pinch of sea salt. Rub this mixture evenly into the lamb.
3. Roll the shoulder tightly and tie it securely. Drizzle with oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a pan over high heat and sear the rolled lamb on all sides. This step helps the lamb retain its shape while enhancing the natural flavours.
5. In a large pot, add the roughly diced shallots, carrots, celery, mint stalks and the lamb bones. Sweat in a little oil until golden. Add the thyme, bay leaves, chicken stock and wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the liquid by half.
6. Transfer the lamb and the jus to a deep tray and cook at 90 ° C for 12 hours.
7. Once cooked, remove the tray and allow it to cool. When the lamb is cool enough to handle, roll it tightly in cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.
8. Strain the jus and return it to the heat to reduce. This reduced jus will be used as a glaze when serving the lamb.
For the mint pesto:
1. Pick the mint leaves and add the stalks to your stock. Blanch the mint in boiling water, then transfer immediately to ice water to help preserve the vibrant green colour.
2. Toast the pine nuts until golden and fragrant.
3. In a blender, combine the mint leaves, toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan, Dijon mustard, olive oil and a couple of twists of black pepper. Blend until smooth, then transfer to the fridge to chill.
For the green beans:
1. Wash, top and tail the green beans. Blanch them in salted boiling water, then plunge them into iced water to maintain their
vibrant green colour. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
For the garlic-roasted Jersey Royal potatoes:
1. Wash the potatoes gently in cold water, being careful not to rub off the skins as most of the flavour is found there. Just remove any dirt.
2. In a pot of cold water, add the potatoes, thyme, garlic, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a rolling simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender with a little give.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the potatoes to finish cooking in the residual water- do not rinse them under cold water as you’ ll lose flavour. Once cooled, remove the potatoes from the water and refrigerate.
To serve:
1. Slice the lamb thickly, season, then sear both sides in a hot pan with a little butter and a sprig of thyme. Transfer to the oven.
2. In the same pan, add sliced garlic, butter and the Jersey Royal potatoes. Crush and season well. Once the potatoes have a little colour, place them in the oven at 185 ° C alongside the lamb.
3. Drop the green beans into seasoned boiling water and cook until tender.
4. To plate, place the potatoes and green beans in the centre of the plate. Arrange the lamb on top, drizzle with the reduced lamb jus and finish with a generous spoonful of mint pesto. Enjoy!
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