Lamb Chump served

Lamb chump, january king chou croute, roasted harissa squash, nasturtium root & lamb sauce

Prep time & cook time : 2 hours. Servings: 4 portions

Ingredients

  • 4 lamb chump portions, trimmed
  • 4 nasturtium roots cleaned and sliced skin on
  • clarified butter for frying

Chou croute

  • 455g shredded january king cabbage
  • 60g chopped parsley
  • 120g diced smoked bacon (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 60g diced shallot
  • 120ml white wine
  • 120ml white wine vinegar
  • 60g unsalted butter

Roasted Squash

  • 1tbsp harissa
  • 1 butternut squash ½’d and de-seeded

Lamb Jus

  • 2 kilo diced lamb shoulder
  • 250g sliced onion
  • 1 star anise
  • 250g sliced carrots
  • 5 kilo lamb bones
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 5g flat leaf parsley

Method

  1. First make the sauce: Roast the bones in the oven at 180c till golden brown all over, turning regularly.
  2. In a large frying pan fry the lamb shoulder till golden brown in a little oil, transfer to a pressure cooker.
  3. Fry the onions with the star anise until caramelised (this creates a reaction that gives a good roasted flavour the same you get from the ‘mallard’ reaction from roasting meat.) Remove from the pan to a pressure cooker.
  4. In the same pan, fry the carrots till caramelised and add to the pressure cooker also, deglaze the frying pan with water to get all the roasted flavours from the pan.
  5. Place the bones in the pressure cooker and top up with water, cook at low pressure for 1 ½ hr, cool the stock by running cool water over the lid, remove the lid and strain the stock through muslin cloth in to a container.
  6. Leave the stock in a fridge over-night which will allow the fat to set on the top. Remove this fat and place the stock in to a saucepan and reduce by at least ¾’s to get sauce consistency. Melt the fat gently on a stove to clarify it, then using a hand blender blitz it back through the sauce to thicken and add flavour, infuse with thyme, rosemary and parsley for 10 minutes then pass once more, keep to one side ready for use.
  7. Set the sous vide circulator to 56c for 1hr 30 minutes.
  8. Vac pac the lamb chump with a tbsp. of pomace oil, sprig of thyme & rosemary.
  9. Leave to cook in the circulator for 1hr ½.
  10. Alternatively, fry the chump in clarified butter until golden on each side then cook in an oven at 180c for 10-15 minutes, leave to rest.
  11. Rub the harissa paste onto the prepared squash, wrap in foil & bake at 180c for 1 ½ hrs.
  12. Scoop out the soft flesh & beat up with a fork and keep warm.
  13. Make the chou croute by frying the bacon (if using) then add the shallots and garlic, cook these without colour. Add the vinegar & reduce to a syrup, then add the wine and reduce to a syrup, add the butter and leave to melt in the mix.
  14. In a separate pan gently sweat the cabbage in some butter until it is al dente, add the shallot and wine mix, season well & finish with parsley.
  15. Remove the lamb from the sous vide bag & pat dry with a paper towel, get a frying pan hot with a little clarified butter then fry the fat to render it down a little and make it golden brown, fry all sides to get a nice roasted flavour.
  16. In the same pan fry the nasturtium root until golden on each side, serve everything together on the plate.