Rack of Lamb Sharing Slate with a Pea and Mint Puree, Pomme Fondant, Glazed Chantenay Carrots and Piccolo Parsnips

Ingredients

Lamb

• 1 whole French trimmed rack of lamb
• 2g salt
• 2g black pepper
• 10g rosemary
• 1 garlic clove
• 20ml olive oil

Lamb sauce

• 450ml lamb stock
• 150ml/5fl oz ruby port
• 5tbsp redcurrant jelly
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 15g unsalted butter

Pea and mint puree

• 200g frozen peas
• 1 shallot
• 50ml vegetable stock
• 6 mint leaves
• 40g salted butter

Pomme fondant

• 2 large potatoes (cut using a pastry cutter into 5cm rounds with a 4cm depth)
• 25g salted butter
• 400ml vegetable stock

Glazed Chantenay carrots and Piccolo parsnips

• 250g Chantenay carrots (washed and scrubbed)
• 250g Piccolo parsnips (washed scrubbed and sliced in half length ways )
• 50g salted butter
• 3tbsp honey
• 75ml water

To finish

• Micro pea shoots
• Piccolo parsnip crisps (two parsnips washed and scrubbed and thinly sliced on a mandolin and place in cold water)

Method

Method for the rack of lamb and sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Ensure that the rack of lamb is well trimmed and the bones are cleaned. Score the skin using a sharp knife in a fine crisscross pattern.
2. Using a pestle and mortar, combine the rosemary, garlic and seasoning and crush to from a rough paste. Mix in the olive oil and rub the paste over the lamb. Marinate the lamb for a couple of hours or preferably overnight.
3. When ready to cook, heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and brown off the meat starting with the skin side down. When browned, leave the rosemary and garlic in the pan and transfer the lamb to a tray. Then cook in a preheated oven for 15 minutes (pink). Keep the pan to make the lamb sauce.
4. While the lamb is cooking, make the sauce by putting the pan onto full heat and deglazing the pan with the ruby port. Reduce by ½ then add the lamb stock, redcurrant jelly and seasoning. Continue to reduce by 2/3. Finally, strain through fine chinois into a small pan and finish by stirring in the butter for a rich glossy sauce.
5. When lamb is cooked, rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Method for pea and mint puree

1. Heat 25g of the butter in a medium pan and gently fry the shallot until soft, but not browned.
2. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Add the peas and mint, simmering for 5 minutes.
3. Tip the contents of the pan into a food processor and blend until pureed. Add the rest of butter for a glossy appearance, before seasoning to taste.

Method for pomme fondant

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place a medium sized frying pan on a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the potato rounds and pour in the stock ¾ of the way up to the height of the potato. Bring to the boil and baste the potato for a few minutes until the potato starts to become golden in colour.
2. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and cook for 40 minutes ensuring that the potatoes are basted every 10 minutes.
3. When cooked, the potatoes should have absorbed most of the stock and be golden brown in colour.

Method for glazed Chantenay carrots and Piccolo parsnips

1. Cook in separate pans of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and place into separate frying pans along with the water, butter and honey. Then cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the liquid in the pan thickens to a syrupy consistency and the carrots and parsnips are glazed and tender. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. For the parsnip crisps, preheat a fryer to 190°C. Fry until golden brown then place on paper towel.
3. To finish the dish, dress with Piccolo parsnip crisps and micro pea shoots.