We are delighted to share with you one of Aaron’s signature dishes as inspiration for your home cooking this Easter.
LOIN OF LAMB, LAMB BELLY AND PEPPER STEW
For the slow-cooked lamb belly you will need:
1 lamb belly
Rock salt
Black peppercorns
Rosemary
200ml olive oil
Clove of garlic
Method:
Chop the lamb belly in half width ways, sprinkle with rock salt, whole peppercorns and leave in the fridge for 1 hour. Wash off the lamb belly, put one half on top of the other, place in a vac pac bag, add 1 clove of garlic,1 sprig of rosemary, 200g olive oil and fully vac pac the bag. Cook for 12 hours at 85 degrees Celsius in a water bath until soft. Remove from bag and press bellies between 2 flat heavy trays with greaseproof to prevent sticking, place in the fridge overnight or when set minimum of 2 hours. Slice into rectangles 3cm by 7cm, sear the top until coloured and finish in an oven 160 degrees Celsius until piping hot in the middle. If you don’t own a water bath or sous vide, use this method: How to Sous Vide Without the Machine
For the lamb sauce you will need:
Ingredients to make a mirepoix
50ml olive oil
1 fennel bulb
½ carrot
½ leek
½ onion
½ stick celery
½ bulb garlic
Small sprig of thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2-star anise
Teaspoon fennel seeds
6 crushed cardamom pods (to release flavour)
10 chopped tomatoes
¼ bottle Madeira
¾ bottle of white wine
1 L veal glace
500ml chicken stock
1.5kg chopped roasted lamb bones
Method:
To make a mirepoix, sweat all the vegetables in butter on a low heat slowly, then add herbs and seeds. Add chopped tomatoes and render down until soft. Burn off Madeira and white wine and add to mirepoix. Add the veal glace, chicken stock, lamb bones and reduce, skimming excess fat, until it coats the back of a spoon. Strain sauce, season with salt and lemon juice.
For the pepper stew you will need:
3 yellow peppers peeled and sliced finely
3 red peppers peeled and sliced finely
1 tin piquillo peppers de seeded, thinly slice half
1 onion finely diced
½ aubergine (cut in half lengthways, save the other half for pickled aubergine slices)
100ml tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon fennel powder
Salt & pepper
Lemon
Method:
Sweat down the onion and aubergine until soft. Add the red and yellow peppers and cook until soft strain off any excess liquid. Mix in sliced piquillo peppers. Blend the remaining piquillo peppers with the tomato ketchup and fennel powder, add to the pepper mix then season with salt, lemon and pepper.
For the glazed baby onions you will need:
12 peeled baby onions
100g sugar
50ml rice wine vinegar
50ml water
1 slice of smoked bacon
50ml light soya sauce
1 sprig of thyme
Method:
In a saucepan make a dry caramel with the sugar, add all the other ingredients making sure the onions are covered, add more water if not, cover with a lid on until the onions are soft and strain. Reduce the liquor down to a glaze and mix in the onions.
For the mint caviar you will need:
200ml water
50 g sugar
50 ml white wine vinegar
2 drops green food colour
1 large bunch of mint
4 g agar agar
500ml of ice-cold vegetable oil in a tall container
1 x fine nozzle syringe
Method:
Dissolve the sugar in the water, vinegar, and food colour. Blend the liquor and mint together and pass through a fine sieve. Boil the mint liquor with the agar agar. Using the syringe spray into the ice-cold oil to form small spheres, it will set as the sink through the oil. Strain off the caviar, through a fine sieve, wash excess oil off with chilled water.
For the pickled aubergine you will need:
½ aubergine sliced lengthways as thin as possible
200ml water
60 ml rice wine vinegar
60g sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
Method:
Bring liquor to a boil. Add sliced aubergine, remove from the gas, cling film and allow to cool.
For the lamb loin you will need:
4 x 150g lamb loin
100g butter
100g seasoned goats curd in a piping bag
500g curly kale
Method:
Cook the loin of lamb in seasoned foaming butter to your liking. Quenelle the hot pepper stew (this is a presentation technique which makes a three-sided oval shape), place at the top of the plate. Lay the aubergine slice on the top. To the right and front of the aubergine place a pile of blanched, dressed with butter glaze and seasoned with salt and pepper kale, the lamb and mint caviar on top. Next to the lamb loin place the lamb belly. Pipe 3 balls of goats curd around and 3 baby onions. Sauce the plate.
