As lovers of lamb, it came as a surprise to discover that one of the reasons for Love Lamb Week is that fewer people have been regularly eating the meat over the past 15 years.
What’s not to like?
Lamb is such a versatile dish and despite what you might think, it’s no harder to cook than chicken or pork. It’s also healthy. Grass fed lamb, for example, can in some instanced be higher in omega-3 than fish.
It’s also a veritable multivitamin when it comes to nutrition, a four-ounce serving providing over 40% of your recommended daily amount of Vitamin B12, which is essential for healthy digestive systems.
Lamb pairs well with a range of herbs and spices and this is one of the reasons it is popular in Mediterranean and Middle East countries. It’s also loved in Australia and New Zealand, but bizarrely not in America where less than one pound of lamb is eaten per person per year. What’s wrong with you America?
Don’t worry though folks because I am a New Zealander and if there’s one thing we do well, it’s cooking with lamb, so this week’s recipe is below.
You can find out more about Love Lamb Week here.
Roasted rack of lamb with sous vide rump, aubergine and goat’s cheese, lemon parsley oil
Sous vide lamb
2 rumps of lamb approx 400g
Virgin rapeseed oil 20ml
Basil leaves and garlic slivers
Place lamb in vacuum bag with oil and other ingredients and seal then cook at 56 degrees for 2 hours then plunge into ice bath put aside.
Rack of lamb
500g.rack of lamb French trimmed and fat layer removed (ask a good butcher to do this)
Salt, pepper and olive oil to season
Preheat oven to 190 degrees
Place the rack of lamb directly on the oven shelves with a tray on next shelf down to catch drips
Roast for approximately 17 minutes then take out and let it rest
Aubergine rolls with goat’s cheese
One aubergine sliced into 15 mm slices to achieve grill marking with a chargrill pan.
Next place onto tray with olive oil and finish in oven so cooked but not mushy
Place 20g goat’s cheese in each slice, then roll up set aside
Polenta
95g polenta
200ml water
200ml milk
25g butter
Salt to taste
Bring liquid together and then ‘rain’ in the polenta and whisk to achieve a light creamy texture then place herbs, butter and parmesan in and combine.
Plating up
Seal the rumps with foaming butter in pan 2-4 mins and then slice length ways into two nice slices ,cut the rack into cutlets and place 2-3 on each plate on top of polenta and drizzle lemon dressing over and around.
About Sean Flint
Development & Innovation Chef of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
