Slow-Roasted Leg of New Season Spring Lamb from Butler House
Ingredients:
For the Spring lamb
2kg/4½lb leg of spring lamb on the bone Grogan and Brown artesian butcher’s Kilkenny.
For the Garlic and Rosemary Butter
3 large garlic cloves
25g/1oz butter softened
4–5 stalks fresh rosemary, plus extra for garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Gravy
125ml/4½fl oz red wine
15g/½oz knob of butter
1 tbsp plain flour
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to get to room temperature.
Make the garlic and rosemary butter. Peel the garlic cloves and grate them finely. Place into a bowl with the butter.
Strip the leaves off the rosemary stalks and chop finely. Add to the bowl with the garlic and butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mash to a paste with a fork.
With a sharp thin knife or a metal skewer, make between 30 and 50 small incisions into the flesh of the lamb. They should be large enough for you to stick just your fingertip into.
Work the butter and garlic mixture into the lamb by massaging it into the meat, trying to work it into the holes that you've created.
Place the lamb in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven. As it heats up, the butter will melt and help the rosemary and garlic to work their way into the holes and really penetrate the lamb.
After 30 minutes, remove the foil and leave to roast for a further 50-60 minutes (for medium) or until cooked to your liking.
At the end of cooking time, remove the lamb from the oven and leave it to rest in the roasting tin for 10-15 minutes, with some foil on top to keep it warm.
Make the gravy. Heat a heavy-based frying pan on the hob. When hot, pour the pan
juices from the roasting tin into the pan (be careful as it may splatter). Add the red wine. Turn the heat down and leave the sauce to reduce.
- To thicken the sauce, make a roux by mixing together the flour and butter in a clean bowl to make a paste. Add about a teaspoon of the roux to the pan and whisk well, until the sauce has the desired consistency.
- To serve, slice the lamb and pour over the gravy. Garnish with a couple of stalks of fresh rosemary. This would be good with potatoes dauphinoise and fresh vegetables, for an Easter Sunday lunch.
Lamb Ragu with Rosemary Gnocchi from The Tannery
This is a deeply satisfying dish that has all the hallmarks of perfect Italian comfort food. A slow-cooked lamb stew with lots of melting onions served with buttery Italian dumplings and lashings of Parmesan.
It's important that you give the lamb the required time on the hob, it will be worth it in the end.
Serves 6
For the Lamb:
720g of diced, Irish lamb
4 yellow onions,(608g) peeled and sliced.
2 tbsp flour (30g).
3 tbsp olive oil.
4 cloves of garlic, (19g) peeled and sliced.
1 chicken stock cube, crumbled.
250mls of water.
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar.
Salt and pepper.
Method:
Set your oven to 160 degrees.
Turn the lamb in the flour, season and shake off the excess.
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. When gently smoking, carefully add the lamb and the onions, cook on the hob for 15 - 20 minutes, turning occasionally to make sure everything caramelises evenly.
Add the garlic after 15 minutes or so, then add the balsamic vinegar, water and the stock cube. Bring to a simmer, cover and put in the oven for 1 hour.
For the Gnocchi:
1 packet of gnocchi,
2 tbsp of butter (80g).
A large chunk of Parmesan, (80g) grated.
A little chopped rosemary, thyme or sage.
Salt and pepper.
Method:
Put the butter in a largish pot and place on a medium heat, Cook the butter gently for 3-4 minutes without stirring, it will spit and fizzle along the way but that's ok. When the butter starts to turn nutty brown, remove from the heat and throw in the herbs then set aside. When ready to serve, cook the gnocchi as per packet instructions but the simple rule is when they rise to the surface they are cooked.
When draining, lift the gnocchi out of the pot with a slotted spoon and place into the warm butter, this will ensure that a little of the cooking water is added to the butter to form an emulsion.
Season and divide onto warm plates with the lamb Ragu on top, sprinkle generously with the Parmesan and serve.
Ring of Kerry Lamb Rack with Pickled Courgette, Baby Carrots, Salted Beetroot, Candied Pecans, Goats Cheese Mousse and Sage Cream from Carrig House
Ingredients:
1 eight-bone lamb rack trimmed
20g rosemary
garlic bulbs
seasoning
Picked Courgette:
½ courgette, thinly sliced
100ml white wine vinegar
100g caster sugar
100ml water
star anise
bay leaf
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
Baby Carrots:
200g baby carrots
400ml fresh orange juice
seasoning
Salted Beets:
3 baby beets
180ml apple juice
1tbsp coarse sea salt
Candied Pecans
100g caster sugar
100g pecans
Goats Cheese Mousse:
100g goats cheese st. Tola curd
30g créme fraiche
Sage Cream:
1/3 cup sliced shallots
2 tbsp sage
3/4 cup white wine
2/3 cup cream
Method:
Preheat Oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas Mark 6.
Cut the lamb rack into 2x4 bone pieces - season. Put in a container with garlic and rosemary and some olive oil and leave to infuse.
Candied Pecans:
Put sugar in a heavy-based pan and allow to go to a golden caramel colour. Add pecans and stir. Remove from the pot and our onto parchment paper. Allow to cool completely and roughly chop
Goat's Cheese Mousse:
Place goats cheese and créme fraiche in a bowl and beat well. Place in a piping bag and refrigerate
Courgette Pickle:
Boil up white wine vinegar, caster sugar, water, star anise, bay leaf and coriander seeds. Allow to cool completely and pour over courgette slives. Set aside to pickle.
Baby Carrots:
Boil orange juice. Wash carrots well and add to the boiled orange juice. Cook until al dente.
Set aside, keeping warm in the juice.
Salted Beets:
Wash beets well then cook in the apple juice until just tender. Peel and slice and season with sea salt. Set aside
Lamb:
Once infused, place lamb in a hot pan and sear well, place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes for pink lamb. Remove and allow to rest
Sage Cream:
Put shallots in a pot with a drop of oil and allow to caramelise. Add sage and white wine. Reduce by half and then add the cream and simmer. Season to taste.
Plate and enjoy
Rack of Lamb with Asian Spices from Dunbrody House
When cooking this recipe for rack of lamb, score the skin with the tip of a sharp knife in a lattice fashion, being careful not to pierce the flesh, before rubbing in the marinade.
Serves 4
1 rack of lamb, French trimmed (with 7 bones)
For the Marinade
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
2 tsp crushed peppercorns
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp five-spice powder
Method
Place all the marinade ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mixture
has a coarse consistency. Score the rack as described in the introduction and spread
the mixture over it. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for a least 1 hour before
cooking, but preferably longer, if possible.
Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5. Cover the exposed bones in foil to
prevent them from charring during cooking.
Place the lamb into a roasting pan and roast for 12–15 minutes for medium-rare. Set
aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with some Potato rösti and some rocket leaves.
Potato rösti
All you need for a decent rösti are firm potatoes, butter, seasoning and some oil to cook it in the pan until the edges are crisp and golden. If I’m feeling indulgent, I use duck or goose fat.
Ingredients:
3–4 large potatoes, grated
Salt and black pepper
50g (4 tbsp) butter
4–5 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed (canola) oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 140°C/275ºF/gas mark 1. Place the grated potato on a clean tea or dish towel and squeeze out the liquid by twisting the towel. Place the potato in a bowl and season with some salt and black pepper.
Melt the butter and oil in a large frying pan set over a moderate heat. Take small handfuls of the grated potato and make little patties with a diameter of 5–6cm (2–2½ inches). Place them in the pan and fry for about 5–6 minutes on each side. When cooked, they should be crisp and dry. Place the cooked rösti on a greased baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. repeat this process until all the potato has been used.
Roast glazed leg of lamb with minestrone from l'Ecrivain
This is a slightly different take on roast leg of lamb. The dark glazed outer surface of the lamb contrasts with the pink flesh inside. Basting throughout the cooking time keeps the meat lovely and moist. Be sure to rest the meat before carving.
Ingredients
1 leg of lamb 1 onion (sliced)
2 carrots (peeled and diced)
1 stick celery (diced)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
200ml meat stock (or gravy granules)
100ml red wine
For the minestrone
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
2 carrots (diced)
2 sticks celery (diced)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
750ml chicken stock (made with a stock cube is fine)
400g cannellini beans or haricot beans (tinned or dried), soaked overnight if dried
2 courgettes (diced)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Method
1. On a large, very hot oiled pan, seal the leg of lamb on all sides to a golden brown. Place in a roasting dish.
2. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the pan in which you sealed the lamb.
3. Toss these in the pan for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the stock (or gravy granules) and the wine.
5. Pour the contents of the pan into the roasting tray around the lamb, but not over it.
6. Place in a moderate oven, 180–185°C.
7. Baste the lamb with the juices from the roasting tray every 15 minutes for the first hour of cooking.
8. After 1 hour, turn the lamb and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes (basting throughout).
9. Remove from the oven and allow to rest on a chopping board for 15 minutes.
10. When carving, always carve from the top, in the direction of the shin.
For the minestrone
1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the carrot, celery and garlic.
2. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
3. Add the tomatoes and stock and season.
4. Simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Add the beans and courgette and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the parsley
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