I was recently presented with the opportunity to purchase half a spring lamb. I couldn’t resist, yet found myself stumped when it came to the breast. Fearnley-Whittingstall’s meat bible came to the rescue with this fantastic recipe. I have now discovered that, when slowly cooked, the lamb’s breast is a cut somewhat akin to pork belly – rich and unctuous. This recipe was a winner and I will definitely be cooking it again.
Ingredients –
1 breast of lamb
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, sliced
A sprig of rosemary, or thyme, or both I used both
1 glass of white wine
1 glass of water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To finish – Dijon or English mustard
2 eggs, beaten
Dried breadcrumbs, to coat
About 100g butter, melted
Place the breast of lamb in an ovenproof dish or casserole, cut in half if necessary to fit, with the carrots, onions and herbs scattered under and over it. Pour the wine and water over, season well with salt and pepper and cover the dish with foil (or its lid). Bake in a low oven (140°C/Gas Mark 1) for 2 ½ – 3 hours, removing the dish from the oven to turn and baste the breast 2 or 3 times, until the meat is completely tender,
Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle, then slip the rib bones out of the meat by tugging gently with your fingers. Press the boneless breast between 2 chopping boards, or 2 flat plates, with a weight on top (a few full jam jars or large tomato tins will do). Leave in a cool larder or the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.
To finish the dish, slice the cold, pressed breast meat into two-finger-width, one-finger-length slices. Brush the slices with a little mustard, dip them in the beaten egg, and press firmly into a bowl of breadcrumbs so they are well coated .Arrange on a wire rack in a roasting tin, brush with the melted butter and place in the centre if a moderate oven (180°C/Gas Mark 4). After 15 minutes, turn on the oven grill (if it doesn’t have one, whack the oven up to maximum heat) to get the lamb pieces very crisp (a touch blackened even), first on one side, then the other.
Serve on hot plate, to waiting guests, with a piquant sauce, such as tartare or salsa verde. To make a meal for two, rather than a starter or a snack, serve with creamy mashed potato and watercress and orange salad.
Some will know him from his cooking shows, others may know him from his restaurants, but even if you don’t know Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall you should get to know his book - The River Cottage Meat Book. This is one of those culinary bibles that any carnivorous cook should not be without. Half the book is devoted to understanding meat, while the other half tells you how to cook it … and there is a recipe here for pretty much every cut of meat you can imagine. It’s written in Hugh’s blokey and colloquial style, and is incredibly informative and useful (I particularly like the diagrams illustrating the different cuts of each animal).