Recipes

Lamb Recipies

Please click on any of the recipe links below to see more detail on each one.

• Butterflied leg of lamb. - Johanna Kelly
• Catalpa’s Sheepvention Lamb Loin and Crumbed Brain Compilation.

Butterflied leg of lamb. - Johanna Kelly

Serves 6

1 leg of lamb - boned and butterflied

Marinade:

• 2 tspns cumin seeds
• 1 tspn black pepper corns
• 1 tspn cardamom pods
• 1 tspn chilli powder (optional)
• 1 tspn salt
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves crushed and peeled

Thick pieces of meat may be slightly opened out by slitting part of the way with a sharp knife.  it is not necessary to get the meat all the same thickness - one of the attractions to this is that some meat will be well done and some rarer.  Remove excess fat.

Roast the cumin seeds in a pan over a medium heat for 1-2 mins then add the peppercorns and cardamom seeds (best if the cardamom seeds are freshly removed from the pod).  Remove from the heat and crush coarsely in a pestle and mortar.  Mix the other marinade ingredients together in a bowl and add the ground spices . Put the lamb in a large plastic bag and pour over the marinade, tie a tight knot in the bag and leave in the fridge for 12-24 hours ideally turning from time to time.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and cook the lamb for c.1-1.5hrs (I personally always put in at 200 for c.10 minutes then reduce to 180).  Can of course be BBQ'd.

Catalpa’s Sheepvention Lamb Loin and Crumbed Brain Compilation.

This recipe was devised and prepared for the Sheepvention young chef competition by Gabby Hutchins and went on to win. It is a relatively complex dish, read through the recipe carefully so you can sort out timings. Ie deep fry the brains last of all, second last cook the lamb.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 Bok choy leaves
• 2 lamb backstraps cut in half
• Mushrooms
• 12 baby beetroot
• Crushed garlic 6 desert spoons
• Half a chopped lemon
• 2 lambs brains
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Thyme
• 2 whole garlic cloves
• ½ a bunch of mint
• 250ml white vinegar
• 250 gm sugar
• 1 cup of mint jelly together
• 4 gelatine sheets
• 500ml balsamic vinegar
• 4 celeriac
• 1 cup of cream
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon of pepper
• handful of crushed shaven parmesan
• half a cup of pitted green olives
• ¼ cup anchovies
• 100gm butter
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 bunch of thyme
• ½ bunch of rosemary.  
• ¼ cup brandy
• 500 mls lamb stock

Method

Lamb (cook this second to last)

Trim up backstrap, cut each loin in half to make 2 serves.  Blanch 3 leaves of bok choy for each serve and lay out.  Cook 400 gm of chopped mushrooms with a desert spoon of crushed garlic and half a chopped lemon, cook till liquid has evaporated.  Squeeze out extra moisture and put a dessert spoon of mixture on top of bok choy.  Lay back strap on top of mushroom mixture and roll up all together.  Place each backstrap on glad wrap (cling film)  Roll up and fasten.  Poach for 15 minutes.

Brain (cook this last of all, just before plating out).

Cook 2 brains in 300ml of milk, 2 dessert spoons of crushed garlic and thyme.  Cut each brain in half and then into 3, roll in flour, dip in beaten egg then coat with dry bread crumbs to which you have added a tablespoon of chopped parsley.  Deep fry until golden brown.  Drain onto kitchen towel and keep warm.

Beetroot

Roast 12 baby beetroots for 2 hours with 2 whole garlic cloves and half a bunch of thyme.  When cool peel.

Mint jelly

Boil ½ a bunch of mint, 250ml white vinegar, 250 ml water, 250 gm sugar and 1 cup of mint jelly together.  Melt down 4 gelatine sheets and add to above mixture.  Allow time to cool in a shallow tray.  Cut into 1.5 cm cubes.

Balsamic reduction

500ml balsamic vinegar and 200 g sugar – reduce down until thickens.

Scalloped Celeriac and Olive

Peel and then slice 4 celeriac with slicer, mix with 1 cup of cream, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and a handful of crushed shaven parmesan.  Mix together.  Take half a cup of pitted olives and ¼ cup anchovies and put in blender for 30 seconds.  Using a slice tray, put one layer of celeriac mixture followed by the olive mixture.  Repeat layers until finished.  Bake in 180 C oven for 1-1 ½ hours or until knife will glide through easily.

Lamb and Brandy sauce

100gm butter, 3 dessert spoons of crushed garlic, 1 onion chopped, ½ bunch of thyme & rosemary.  Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook until onions are transparent.  Add ¼ cup brandy and deglaze (set on fire). Add 500 mls lamb stock and reduce down.

Plate out (refer to photo).

• Slice each serve of backstrap into 4 slices and place on top of Scalloped Celeriac and Onion  ( a slice made to fit backstrap).
• Place 3 roast baby beetroot on plate, a dollop of lamb and brandy sauce on top and fried crumbed brain on top of lamb and brandy sauce.
• Scatter 6 cubes of mint jelly around the plate and serve with balsamic reduction in a jug.