Roasted rack of Herdwick Lamb, gently braised neck fillet, madras curry, butternut squash, puffed seeds, Ascroft cauliflower and lamb jus gras. By Tim Allen
By Tim Allan
As part of the Wellocks @ Home series of virtual masterclasses Michelin acclaimed Chef Tim Allan used our Rack of Herdwick Lamb to demonstrate this dish. For more information on Wellocks Virtual Masterclass Click Here
Method
Step 1 - Preparing the brine (5 minutes):
Pour 100g of your water into a medium saucepan and add the salt, madras curry paste and springs of thyme. Peel the garlic, cut in half and crush before placing into the pan.
Place the pan over a medium heat, bring to the boil and stir to dissolve the paste and salt whilst infusing the flavours of the thyme and garlic.
Once the salt has dissolved, remove from the heat. You can check this by placing a metal spoon into the liquid and you will see any remaining salt grains on the back of the spoon.
Add the remaining 400g water and stir thoroughly.
Place to one side and allow to cool.
Step 2 - Basic Preparation of the lamb rack 5-10 minutes
Check the back of the lamb rack for the elastin, this is light in colour compared to the meat and will feel like elastic. Trim out if required with your sharp knife.
Check the chine bone is neat and trim if required.
Remove the outer skin from the top layer of fat. Use a sharp knife to peel and lift it away, working down toward the chopping board and keeping your fingers out of the way of the knife. Save all of the offcuts into your container or small bowl to use later in the sauce.
Score into the fat on a diagonal - this will help render the fat when cooking.
To even out the layer of fat cut approximately 1.5 inches in from the wider end of the lamb, cutting down to the next layer of fat - saving the fat you remove.
Next, remove the two middle bones from the lamb rack which will allow for the heat to distribute more evenly when cooking. With a sharp knife trim through either side of the bone, place the blade behind the bone and release it out. Once both bones have been removed, check for any remaining bone in the meat.
Place your prepared lamb into the fridge, ready for when required.
Step 3 - Brining the lamb neck (Prep time: 5 mins / Brining time: 12 hours):
Place your neck fillet into a bowl and begin to spoon the brine mixture over until completely covered.
Cover your bowl and place into the fridge for 12 hours.
The remaining brine can be saved in the fridge and used again.
Tip - Tim uses a low salt content in his brine and leaves the meat over a 12 hours period to allow it to infuse with the flavours from the brine. You can adapt your brine mixture, adding a higher salt content for a shorter brining period and this is something you can explore in your own home cooking.
Step 4 - Cooking the lamb neck (Prep time: 5 mins / cooking time: 2 hours):
Turn on your oven to 150°C (fan).
Remove the lamb neck from the brine and place onto a J cloth to remove any moisture.
Place your saucepan over a medium pan and add a drizzle of olive oil.
Place the lamb neck into the pan and be careful as the oil may spit a little.
Move the lamb around the pan for 2-3 minutes and cook until golden and caramelised, then remove from the heat.
Pour over the lamb stock into the pan and place back onto a medium heat up to a simmer.
Place a lid onto your pan or create a tin foil lid and place into the oven for approximately 2 hours.
After 2 hours remove your lamb neck from the oven.
Remove the lamb from the brine and place into a container, then pour the liquid back over the lamb.
Allow to cool to room temperature and then place into the fridge until required.
Step 5 - Butternut squash puree (Prep time: 10 minutes / cooking time: 30-35 mins):
Cut the top and bottom from your squash and peel down to the deep orange flesh.
Once peeled, cut in half lengthways and use a spoon to remove the seeds and pulp.
Dice the squash into even sized cubes. Tim cuts the halved squash in half again to separate the dense half and the concave half. He then evenly cuts them into cubes, removing any seeds or pith where required.
Place the squash into a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat with the butter and water.
Once at a simmer take a piece of greaseproof paper to create your cartouche. Start by folding your greaseproof paper in half, then in half again. Then in half on the angle to create a triangle and once more in half again.
As a rough guide place the point of your triangle into the centre of your saucepan, mark the size and cut to size.
Unwrap the paper, which will be a large circle and push down into your pan to cover the butternut squash.
Turn down the heat of your pan to a steady simmer. Check after a few minutes to see if the heat needs adjusting.
Keep checking every 5 minutes and adjust the heat accordingly.
Remove your cartouche from your pan and stir the butternut squash to help remove any excess liquid.
Once the excess liquid has reduced down, pour your butternut squash into a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a hand blender at this stage, but will just take a little longer to blend until smooth.
Place 1 tablespoon of drained buttermilk into the puree and blend until smooth.
Season your puree with salt to taste and stir through.
Allow the puree to cool and place into a container and store in the fridge until required.
Step 6 - Preparing and cooking the Cauliflower (Prep time: 10-12 Mins / Cooking time: 10 Mins)
Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and then cut through the stem to release the head.
Cut around the stem to release the florets and then cut 7 florets.
Place your frying pan over a medium heat with a little olive oil and evenly season the pan with a pinch of salt.
The pan needs to be moderately hot before placing the cauliflower in the pan, it will sizzle as you place it into the pan.
Season each cauliflower evenly with salt.
Once the cauliflower begins to caramelise on the underside add three tablespoons of butter to the pan and it will begin to foam.
Keep the cauliflower moving in the pan.
Drop the heat down and use a spoon to start basting each cauliflower with the butter.
Turn them so they are floret end down and continue to baste with the butter.
Rest and allow the butter to come back up to temperature.
Turn the florets over and continue to baste with the butter.
Add a squeeze of lemon to the pan and continue to baste.
Use a knife to check they are tender in the centre and then remove from the pan and place onto a J cloth to cool.
Once the cauliflower and butter have cooled and rested, place the florets into a container and cover with the butter. Set to one side until required.
Step 7 - glazing the lamb neck and lamb sauce (Prep time: 8-10 mins):
Remove the lamb neck from the brine and cut in half.
Place approx 4 tablespoons of the lamb cooking liquor into your small pan (for the lamb glaze) and the remaining liquor into your larger pan (for the lamb sauce).
Pour ⅓ of the lamb stock into your small pan and the remaining ⅔ into the larger pan, then place both pans over a medium heat and bring to a simmer.
If you haven't already, remove your pumpkin seeds from the oven and leave to one side to cool. They should have a light caramelisation with some seeds beginning to split.
Lamb glaze - reduce the heat to a simmer and then place the lamb neck into the glaze. Allow this to reduce to a glaze, coating the meat and then place into the oven for approximately 5 minutes.
Remove the lamb rack from the oven after 10 minutes, Tim suggests feeling the tenderness of the lamb at the stage. Return to the oven for another 2 minutes, until it has been cooking for a total of 12 minutes.
Pour the pumpkin seeds onto tissue paper or kitchen towel and allow to cool.
Next steps
Place your butternut squash puree into a saucepan and put to one side.
Place your kale onto your chopping board and pick a few of the coriander leaves, these will be added into the puree before serving.
Step 8 - Lamb sauce (Prep time: 3-4 mins):
Tim describes sauce making as an art form. Next, he will talk you through getting your sauce to the right point of reduction, then use some of the lamb fat to emulsify it in to intensify the richness, season it, then add the curry oil to finish the sauce.
You'll be looking for the sauce to have body, but not over reduced as it will become too intense and salty- try your sauce at this point to taste how it's coming together.
Continue to reduce your sauce at a simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Taste again - Tim suggests you want to get it to the point that "you want some, but you're not too sure if you want much more, but it tastes nice".
Take your sauce off the heat and place to one side.
Step 9 - Final Preparation (Prep time: 10-12 mins):
Prepare a frying pan with a dash of water, a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt and set to one side.
Remove the lamb neck from the oven, spoon the glaze over the lamb and place this to one side.
Turn your lamb rack over, placing it onto the bones and cut-offs and return to the oven for another 4 minutes.
After 4 minutes, remove the lamb rack from the oven, place onto a cooling rack and drizzle with half of the oil from the pan - Ensure there is a tray or plate underneath to catch the oil. Allow the meat to rest for 8-10 minutes.
Place your pan of water and butter onto a low heat ready for the kale.
Place your lamb neck back into the oven and your butternut squash puree onto a low heat to warm through.
Warm the lamb sauce for 1-2 minutes over a medium heat and then pour into the frying pan that you used to cook the lamb rack. Keep your saucepan to one side as you will need this again. Place the frying pan onto a medium heat to deglaze the flavours from the pan.
Pass the sauce through a sieve back into the saucepan and place it back onto the heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the curry oil into your sauce and whisk off the heat. Taste the sauce and add more curry oil if you prefer more spice.
Add 2-3 tablespoons into the sauce and whisk to combine.
Place the kale into the pan of water and butter over a low-medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the lamb rack neck from the oven.
Check the seasoning of the puree and adjust if required.
Roughly chop the coriander and stir into the butternut squash puree.
Place the cauliflower florets into the oven to warm for 1-2 minutes.
Plating your main
Quenelle the butternut squash onto the centre of the plate.
Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the butternut squash puree.
Place the lamb neck fillet onto the plate.
Take the cauliflower out of the oven, remove any excess butter on a J cloth before plating.
Take the kale out of the warm emulsion onto a J cloth.
Cut the lamb rack through the middle and place onto the plate.
Sit the kale into the centre of the dish.
If required, re-heat your sauce and then drizzle 2-3 tablespoons over the dish.
Serve and enjoy!
© Tim Allen 2021
For more information on the Wellocks Virtual Masterclass visit https://wellocksathome.co.uk/pages/masterclass
Ingredients:
Preparing the brine:
25g salt
50g madras curry paste
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 sprigs of thyme
500g water
Basic Preparation of the lamb rack:
Udales Herdwick lamb rack
Brining the lamb neck:
Udales neck fillet of lamb
prepared brine
Cooking the lamb neck:
Udales lamb neck in brine
olive oil
250ml Turefoods lamb stock
Butternut squash puree:
1kg butternut squash
100g Estate Dairy unsalted cultured butter
200g water
1 tbsp drained buttermilk
salt, to taste
Preparing and cooking the Cauliflower:
1 cauliflower
Estate Dairy unsalted cultured butter
½ lemon
Salt
olive oil
Glazing the lamb neck and lamb sauce:
100ml True Foods lamb stock
100ml Lamb braising liquor
neck fillet of lamb
Butternut squash puree
roasted cauliflower florets
variegated kale leaf
1 tbsp Estate Dairy unsalted cultured butter
Coriander
2-3 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
2-4 tbsp curry oil
Salt
olive oil
