Harts of Stur Kitchen Issue 6, spring & summer 2018 | Page 17

Best of British
Warm Salad of New
Season's Spring Lamb
by Russell Brown
I
t is only later in April that spring lamb becomes more widely available. There
may have been some for Easter but leaving it until a bit later in the season is a
sensible option. From the cook’s point of view, it is the delicacy of spring lamb
that we want to enjoy; the meat is paler and has a sweeter flavour than when it is
more mature and this really shines through in this light warm salad. The prime cuts
of lamb – the loin, fillet, rack and rump – all work well cooked to medium rare or
medium, while the harder-working muscles, such as the legs or shoulders, benefit
from slower roasting or braising. The one problem with small portions of lamb is
that the membrane between the fat and the meat very rarely breaks down before
the meat is cooked. A rump will usually work, given its larger size, but a piece of loin
is often better cooked as a lean eye of meat.
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a light main course
1 x 300g piece lamb loin, trimmed of
all fat and sinew. (Reserve the fat.)
Oil for frying the lamb
25g unsalted butter
100g rustic bread, cut into croutons
1 head of chicory
100g ricotta
2 tbsp light olive oil
15g Parmesan, finely grated
1 lemon
100g watercress, large stalks
removed
2 tsp capers
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Method
About Russell Brown
Chef Russell Brown held a Michelin star for five
years and now cooks, writes, photographs and
consults with his company Creative about Cuisine.
This recipe is from his new book about seasonal
food, co-authored with Jon Haley, called Well
Seasoned. It features over 72 recipes, is published
by Head of Zeus and can be ordered from Amazon.
1. Start by rendering the lamb fat for
frying the croutons. Cut the fat into small
pieces and colour in a heavy pan. Add
enough water to cover by 1cm and then
simmer gently until all the water has
evaporated. You should be left with liquid
fat and the solids. Strain and reserve the
rendered fat.
2. Season the lamb loin well with salt and
pepper. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a
heavy nonstick pan. Seal the lamb all
over to create a rich, dark colour. Add a
second tablespoon of oil to cool the pan
slightly and then add the butter, turning
the lamb in the foaming butter over a low
to medium heat for 3–4 minutes – aim for
medium rare.
Remove the lamb to rest on a plate in a
warm place, retaining a dessertspoonful
of the fat from the pan.
MAKE
IT WITH
Füri Pro Carving
2 Piece Set
Great spring lamb deserves to
be carved properly. This two
piece set features an 18cm
carving fork and 20cm carving
knife. Made from the highest
quality Japanese stainless steel,
the knife will slice through
spring lamb precisely while it’s
held securely by the fork. They
come with a 25-year guarantee.
3. Fry the croutons in the rendered lamb
fat until crisp and golden.
4. Break the chicory into individual leaves
and cut any really large leaves in half at
an angle. Wash and dry.
5. In a small food processor, blend the
ricotta with the olive oil, Parmesan, a good
grating of lemon zest and 2 tsp of lemon
juice. Season to taste.
6. Toss the leaves together and scatter the
croutons on top. Slice the lamb thinly and
arrange on the leaves.
Mix any lamb juices with a little of the fat
from the frying pan and drizzle over the
meat.
Spoon the dressing and scatter the
capers over the top. Sprinkle with a little
sea salt and a little more grated lemon
zest.
RRP: £69.95
Harts Price: £34.94
17
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